Wir saßen am Fischerhause

Wir saßen am Fischerhause,
Und schauten nach der See;
Die Abendnebel kamen,
Und stiegen in die Höh'.

Im Leuchtturm wurden die Lichter
Allmählich angesteckt,
Und in der weiten Ferne
Ward noch ein Schiff entdeckt.

Wir sprachen von Sturm und Schiffbruch,
Vom Seemann, und wie er lebt,
Und zwischen Himmel und Wasser,
Und Angst und Freude schwebt.

Wir sprachen von fernen Küsten,
Vom Süden und vom Nord,
Und von den seltsamen Menschen
Und seltsamen Sitten dort.

Am Ganges duftet's und leuchtet's,
Und Riesenbäume blühn,
Und schöne, stille Menschen
Vor Lotosblumen knien.

In Lappland sind schmutzige Leute,
Plattköpfig, breitmäulig, klein;
Sie kauern ums Feuer und backen
Sich Fische, und quäken und schrein.

Die Mädchen horchten ernsthaft,
Und endlich sprach niemand mehr;
Das Schiff war nicht mehr sichtbar,
Es dunkelte gar zu sehr.

by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) , no title, from Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 7

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

by Christian Bruhn (1934-) , "Wir saßen am Fischerhaus" [voice and orchestra], from Heine-Lieder, no. 3.
by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) , "Am Leuchtturm", op. 60 (Drei Heine-Lieder) no. 2 (1929), published 1933.
by Detlef Cordes , "Am Fischerhaus", stanzas 1-4. [voice and guitar]
by Don Forsythe (1932-) , "Am Fischerhause", published c2004.
by Alfred Reisenauer (1863-1907) , "Wir saßen am Fischerhause", from Sechs Gedichte, no. 3.
by Robert Alexander Schumann (1810-1856) , "Abends am Strand", op. 45 (Romanzen und Balladen), Heft 1 no. 3, published 1858.
by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803-1883) , "Am Meere", op. 22 (Abendbilder : Gedichte aus Heine's "Reisebildern") no. 2, published 1851, from Die Heimkehr : 88 Gedichte aus H. Heine's Reisebildern, no. 7.

by Walter Bell , "The fisherman's dwelling", published 1877.

by Tibor Harsanyi (1898-1954) , "Devant la maison du pêcheur", 1922, published 1925, from Six mélodies, no. 2.

ENG English (Emily Ezust)
ENG English (Emma Lazarus)
FRE French (Pierre Mathé)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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We sat in the fisher's cabin

We sat in the fisher's cabin,
   Looking out upon the sea.
Then came the mists of evening,
   Ascending silently. 

The lights began in the lighthouse
   One after one to burn,
And on the far horizon
   A ship we could still discern. 

We spake of storm and shipwreck,
   The sailor and how he thrives,
And how betwixt heaven and ocean,
   And joy and sorrow he strives. 

We spake of distant countries,
   South, North, and everywhere,
And of the curious people,
   And curious customs there; 

The fragrance and light of the Ganges,
   That giant-trees embower,
Where a beautiful tranquil people
   Kneel to the lotus flower; 

Of the unclean folk in Lapland,
   Broad-mouthed and flat-headed and small,
Who cower upon the hearthstone,
   Bake fish, and cackle and squall. 

The maidens listen gravely,
   Then never a word was said,
The ship we could see no longer;
   It was far too dark o'erhead.

by Emma Lazarus (1849-1887) , from Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, published 1881

a text in German by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) , no title, from Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 7 FRE

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

[ None yet in the database ]

Date added to the website: 2008-04-18.