Wohin?

Ich hört' ein Bächlein rauschen
Wohl aus dem Felsenquell,
Hinab zum Tale rauschen
So frisch und wunderhell.

Ich weiß nicht, wie mir wurde,
Nicht, wer den Rat mir gab,
Ich mußte [gleich]1 hinunter
Mit meinem Wanderstab.

Hinunter und immer weiter
Und immer dem Bache nach,
Und immer frischer rauschte
Und immer heller der Bach.

Ist das denn meine Straße?
O Bächlein, sprich, wohin?
Du hast mit deinem Rauschen
Mir ganz berauscht den Sinn.

Was sag ich denn [von]2 Rauschen?
Das kann kein Rauschen sein:
Es singen wohl die Nixen
[Dort]3 unten ihren Reihn.

Laß singen, Gesell, laß rauschen
Und wandre fröhlich nach!
Es gehn ja Mühlenräder
In jedem klaren Bach.

by Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827) , "Wohin?", from Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten 1, in Die schöne Müllerin, no. 3

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Ludwig Berger (1777-1839) , "Des Müllers Wanderlied", op. 11 no. 1, published 1818, from Gesänge aus einem gesellschaftlichen Liederspiele "Die schöne Müllerin", no. 1.
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) , "Wohin?", op. 25 no. 2, D. 795 no. 2 (1823), from Die schöne Müllerin, no. 2.

by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944) , "Whither?"
by W. H. Bentley , "Whither?", op. 2 (Six songs) no. 2. [voice and piano]
by John Blockley (1800-1882) , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by A. H. Cox , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by Charles John Hargitt (1833-1918) , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by Karl Pomeroy Harrington (1861-) , "Whither?", published 1883. [voice, piano]
by John Liptrot Hatton (1809-1886) , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by H. R. Howard , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by Edward James Loder (1813-1865) , "I heard a brooklet gushing"
by Edward Oswald Schaaf (1869-1939) , "Whither?", op. 3, published 1902 [voice, piano], from German and English Poems in Song, volume 2
by Arthur Octavius Smith , "The Brooklet" [voice, piano]
by Ogle Wintle , "Whither?" [voice, piano], from Six Songs

ENG English (Emily Ezust)
SPA Spanish (Pilar Lirio) (Uta Weber)
DUT Dutch [singable] (Lau Kanen)
ITA Italian (Amelia Maria Imbarrato)
FRE French (Guy Laffaille)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Whither?

I heard a brooklet gushing
From its rocky fountains near
Down into the valley rushing
So fresh and wondrous clear.

I know not what came o'er me, 
Nor who the counsel gave;
But I must hasten downward
All with my pilgrim stave.

Downward and ever farther
And ever the brook beside;
And ever fresher murmured,
And ever clearer the tide.

Is this the way I was going?
Whither, O brooklet, say!
Thou hast with thy soft murmur,
Murmured my senses away.

What say I of a murmur
That can no murmur be?
'Tis the water nymphs that are singing,
Their roundelays under me.

Let them sing, my friend,
Let them murmur,
And wander merrily near;
The wheels of a mill are turning
In ev'ry brooklet clear.

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) , "Whither?", from Voices of the Night, published 1839

a text in German by Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827) , "Wohin?", from Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten 1, in Die schöne Müllerin, no. 3 DUT ITA FRE SPA

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944) , "Whither?"
by W. H. Bentley , "Whither?", op. 2 (Six songs) no. 2. [voice and piano]
by John Blockley (1800-1882) , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by A. H. Cox , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by Charles John Hargitt (1833-1918) , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by Karl Pomeroy Harrington (1861-) , "Whither?", published 1883. [voice, piano]
by John Liptrot Hatton (1809-1886) , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by H. R. Howard , "Whither?" [voice, piano]
by Edward James Loder (1813-1865) , "I heard a brooklet gushing"
by Edward Oswald Schaaf (1869-1939) , "Whither?", op. 3, published 1902 [voice, piano], from German and English Poems in Song, volume 2
by Arthur Octavius Smith , "The Brooklet" [voice, piano]
by Ogle Wintle , "Whither?" [voice, piano], from Six Songs

Date added to the website: 2003-11-10.