Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas! Eine Welt

Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas! Eine Welt,
Die ganze Welt der Schmerzen muß ich tragen,
Ich trage Unerträgliches, und brechen
Will mir das Herz im Leibe.

Du stolzes Herz, du hast es ja gewollt!
Du wolltest glücklich sein, unendlich glücklich,
Oder unendlich elend, stolzes Herz,
Und jetzo bist du elend.

by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) , no title, from Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 24

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

by Richard Burmeister (1860-1944) , "Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas", op. 12 (Drei Lieder) no. 2, note: also set in English
by Karen De Pastel (1949-) , "Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas", 1974, from Sieben Lieder nach Texten von Heinrich Heine, no. 1.
by Anton Eberhardt (1855-1922) , "Der Atlas", op. 16 (Drei Lieder) no. 3.
by Robert Emmerich (1836-1891) , "Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas", op. 9 (Acht Gesänge) no. 3.
by J. Hora Adema , "Der Atlas", published 19--?
by Daniël de Lange (1841-1918) , "Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas", 1854.
by Louis Sauguer (1907-1991) , "Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas", published c1923-7 [low voice and piano], from Zwei Gesänge, no. 1.
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) , "Der Atlas", D. 957 no. 8 (1828), from Schwanengesang, no. 8, op. posth.
by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803-1883) , "Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas", published 1851, from Die Heimkehr : 88 Gedichte aus H. Heine's Reisebildern, no. 24.

by Reinhold Moritzevich Glière (1875-1956) , "Ja atlas zlopoluchnyj", op. 58 (Lieder) no. 7 (1912).

ENG English (Michael P. Rosewall)
NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland)
SPA Spanish (unknown or anonymous translator)
DUT Dutch [singable] (Lau Kanen)
ITA Italian (Amelia Maria Imbarrato)
FRE French [singable] (David Le Marrec)
ENG English (Emma Lazarus)
FRE French (Pierre Mathé)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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I, a most wretched Atlas, the huge world

I, a most wretched Atlas, the huge world,
The whole huge world of sorrow I must carry.
Yea, the unbearable must bear, though meanwhile
My heart break in my bosom. 

Then haughty heart, thyself hast willed it thus,
Thou wouldst be happy, infinitely happy,
Or infinitely wretched, haughty heart!
And lo! now art thou wretched.

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. 24 NOR DUT RUS 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)

[ None yet in the database ]

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