Sehnsucht

Es schienen so golden die Sterne,
am Fenster ich einsam stand
und hörte aus weiter Ferne
ein Posthorn im stillen Land.
Das Herz mir im Leib entbrennte,
da hab ich mir heimlich gedacht:
Ach, wer da mitreisen könnte
in der prächtigen Sommernacht!

Zwei junge Gesellen gingen
vorüber am Bergeshang,
ich hörte im Wandern sie singen
die stille Gegend entlang:
von schwindelnden Felsenschlüften
wo die Wälder rauschen so sacht,
von Quellen, die von den Klüften
sich stürzen in die Waldesnacht.

Sie sangen von Marmorbildern,
von Gärten, die überm Gestein
in dämmernden Lauben verwildern,
Palästen im Mondenschein,
wo die Mädchen am Fenster lauschen,
wann der Lauten Klang erwacht,
und die Brunnen verschlafen rauschen
in der prächtigen Sommernacht.

Authorship

by Josef Karl Benedikt von Eichendorff (1788-1857) , "Sehnsucht", from Wanderlieder

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

by Johann Carl Eschmann (1826-1882) , "Es schienen so golden die Sterne", op. 7 (Fünf Lieder von J. von Eichendorff, E. Geibel und W. Müller) no. 2. [voice and piano]
by Wilhelm Freudenberg (1838-1928) , "Sehnsucht", op. 26 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1878 [voice and piano], Wiesbaden, Wolff
by C. A. Joh. Masberg , "Sehnsucht", op. 5 (Drei Gesänge für 1 Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1885 [voice and piano], Riga, Seezen
by J.G. Pejacsevich , "Sehnsucht", op. 110, published 1895 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Hofbauer
by August Friedrich Wilhelm Reissmann (1825-1903) , "Sehnsucht", op. 27 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1874 [voice and piano], Berlin, Bahn
by Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957) , "Sehnsucht", WoO 30 (1909). [chorus]
by Emil Sulzbach (1885-1932) , "Sehnsucht", op. 11 no. 3. [baritone or mezzo-soprano and piano]
by Richard Trunk (1879-1968) , "Sehnsucht", op. 45 (Sieben Eichendorff-Lieder) no. 4, published 1933.
by August Walter (1821-1896) , "Sehnsucht", op. 12 (Drei Gesänge) no. 2, published 1856 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Kistner, Ed. no. 2227

ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Yearning", copyright ©
FRE French (Pierre Mathé) , "Nostalgie", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Nostalgia", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

Notes about green, red, and white dots

Gentle Reminder

This project, begun in 1995, receives no public funding and is supported financially by 0.01% of our visitors. If you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!      - Emily Ezust I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.

Yearning

 The stars were shining with golden light
 as I stood alone by the window
 and listened to the distant sound
 of the posthorn in the still countryside.
 My heart became inflamed in my body,
 and I thought secretly to myself:
 Ah, if only I could journey with them
 into that magnificent summer night!
 
 Two young men were walking
 past on the slope of the mountain,
 and I heard them singing as they walked along
 in the quiet area:
 of vertiginous, rocky gullies 
 where the woods rustle so gently;
 of springs that rush out from the clefts
 into the night of the woods.
 
 They sang of marble statues,
 of gardens that grew wild upon stones
 in dusky groves;
 of palaces in the moonlight
 where maidens listen by the windows
 when the strum of lutes awakens them;
 and of fountains murmuring sleepily
 in the magnificent summer night.

Authorship

Translation from German to English copyright © by Emily Ezust,

a text in German by Josef Karl Benedikt von Eichendorff (1788-1857) , "Sehnsucht", from Wanderlieder ITA FRE

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.