Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen...

Kennst du das Land, wo die [Zitronen]1 blühn,
Im dunkeln Laub die Gold-Orangen glühn,
Ein sanfter Wind vom blauen Himmel weht, 
Die Myrte still und hoch der Lorbeer steht? 
Kennst du es wohl?
Dahin! dahin
Möcht ich mit dir, o mein Geliebter, ziehn.

Kennst du das Haus? Auf Säulen ruht sein Dach.
Es glänzt der Saal, es schimmert das Gemach,
Und Marmorbilder stehn und sehn mich an:
Was hat man dir, du armes Kind, getan?
Kennst du es wohl? 
Dahin! dahin
Möcht ich mit dir, o mein Beschützer, ziehn.

Kennst du den Berg und seinen Wolkensteg?
Das Maultier sucht im Nebel seinen Weg;
In Höhlen wohnt der Drachen alte Brut;
Es stürzt der Fels und über ihn die Flut! 
Kennst du ihn wohl?
Dahin! dahin
Geht unser Weg! O Vater, laß uns ziehn!

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ sometimes spelled "Citronen" (Fibich and others)
Note: Spontini adds lines from all the stanzas at the end of his setting:

Dahin mit dir, möcht' ich mit dir,
O mein Geliebter, ziehn,
Dahin mit dir, möcht' ich mit dir,
O mein Beschützer, ziehn,
O Vater, dahin geht unser Weg,
O Vater laß uns ziehn,
Mit dir dahin, dahin mit dir!

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) , no title, from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, Book III, Chapter 1

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 Abeille (1761-1838) , "Sehnsucht nach Italien" [voice and piano], from Acht Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel
by Wilhelm Baumgartner (1820-1867) , "Mignon", op. 1 (Sechs Lieder für 4 Männerstimmen) no. 1. [vocal quartet for male voices]
by Bror Beckman (1866-1922) , "Kennst du das Land?", 1906.
by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) , "Mignon", op. 75 no. 1 (1809), stanza 1.
by Alban Maria Johannes Berg (1885-1935) , "Mignon", 1907, stanza 1 [voice and piano], from the collection Jugendlieder, Vol. II (1904-08), no. 70.
by Carl Blum (1786-1844) , "Sehnsucht nach Italien", c1820.
by Michael Brough (1960-) , "Kennst du das Land?", op. 5 (Sieben Goethe-Lieder) no. 6 (1992-3). [voice and piano]
by Leopold Damrosch (1832-1885) , "Mignon", op. 17 no. 2.
by Alphons Diepenbrock (1862-1921) , "Mignon", 1884, published 1889. [low voice and piano]
by John Woods Duke (1899-1984) , "Kennst du das Land?", 1969 [soprano and piano], Southern/Texas
by H. Elkamp , "Mignon", op. 5 (12 Lieder), Heft 2 no. 10, published 1834 [voice and piano], Hamburg, Cranz
by Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich (1850-1900) , "Kennst du das Land?", 1871.
by Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich (1850-1900) , "Mignon", op. 36 no. 4, H. 300 no. 4, from Jarní paprsky (Frühlingsstrahlen), no. 4, also set in Czech
by Carl Gollmick (1796-1866) , "Lied der Mignon", op. 30 (c1828/9), published 1829 [voice and piano], Offenbach, André
by Friedrich Götzloff , "Aus dem Wilhelm Meister", c1806.
by August Ferdinand Häser (1779-1844) , "Sehnsucht nach Italien", 1819.
by Moritz Hauptmann (1792-1868) , "Mignon", op. 37 (Sechs Lieder) no. 1, published 1852 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Siegel
by Georg Jakob Ernst Häusler (c1760-1837) , "Kennst du das Land wo die Cytronen blühn?", 1799.
by Alexis Holländer (1840-1924) , "Mignon", op. 43 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1892 [voice and piano], Berlin, Schlesinger
by Adolf Jensen (1837-1879) , "Mignon", published 1882 [voice and piano], from Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme und Pianoforte, no. 6, Berlin, Ries & Erler
by Bernhard (Joseph) Klein (1793-1832) , "Mignonslied", published 1836. [voice and piano]
by Bernhard (Joseph) Klein (1793-1832) , "Mignon", op. 15 (Neun Lieder von Goethe) no. 8, published 1827/32. [voice and piano]
by Joseph Klein (1802-1862) , "Mignon", published 1836 [voice and piano], from Sechs Gedichte aus Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahren, von Goethe, no. 1.
by Theobald Kretschmann (1850-1919) , "Kennst du das Land", published 1880 [voice and piano], from Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 4, Wien, (Buchholz & Diebel Sort.)
by Karl Johan Krook (1860-1931) , "Kennst du das Land", 1922. [voice and piano]
by Nikolaus, Freiherr von Krufft (1779-1818) , "Kennst du das Land", published 1812.
by Huub de Lange (1955-) , "Mignon", published 2006 [SATB chorus and piano], from Myrte Lieder, no. 1.
by Leopold Lenz (1803-1862) , "Kennst du das Land", op. 12 no. 1, published 1832 [low soprano or baritone and piano], from Mignon der Harfner und Philine ein Cyclus von acht Gesaengen aus "Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre", no. 1.
by Hélène Liebmann, née Riese (1796-1819+) , "Kennst du das Land?", op. 4, published 1811.
by Franz (Ferencz) Liszt (1811-1886) , "Mignons Lied", S. 275 (1842), rev. 1848.
by Oswald Lorenz (1806-1889) , "Mignons Lied", published 1838. [voice and guitar]
by Franz Anton Maurer (1777-1803) , "Kennst du das Land" [voice and piano], from Drey Lieder, no. 1, München: In der Falterischen Musikhandlung
by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel (1805-1847) , "Sehnsucht nach Italien", 1822.
by Heinrich Meyer , "Mignon", op. 13, published 1881 [voice and piano], Hamburg, Thiemer
by Carl Moltke (1783-1831) , "Mignon", published [1814] [voice and piano or guitar], from Drey Lieder von Göthe mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 3, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel
by Lodewijk Mortelmans (1868-1952) , "Lied van Mignon", 1906. [soprano and piano]
by Ignaz von Mosel (1772-1844) , "Das Lied der Mignon", published 1823 [voice and piano], from Sechs Gedichte, no. 2.
by August Mühling (1786-1847) , "Mignon", [c1806] [voice and piano], from Sechs Lieder mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 6, Leipzig: A. Kühnel (Bureau de Musique)
by Hans Georg Nägeli (1773-1836) , "Mignon", c1795-7 [voice and piano], sketch
by (Christian) August Pohlenz (1790-1843) , "Mignons Lied", op. 4 (Gesänge mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 4, published [c1824] [voice and piano], Leipzig: Auf Kosten des Verlegers
by Gustav Reichardt (1797-1884) , "Mignon", published [1824] [voice and piano or guitar], from Sechs Lieder von Göthe, Tieck, Matthisson, & Körner mit Begleitung des Pianoforte oder der Guitarre, no. 5, Hannover: In der Hofmusikhandlung von C. Bachmann
by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752-1814) , "Italien", published 1795-96.
by Bernard Reichel (1901-1992) , "Kennst du das Land", published 198-? [voice and piano], from Lieder-Gedichte von Goethe, no. 4, Monthey : Cantate Domino
by Helene Riese (1796-?) , "Lied", op. 4, published [1811?]
by Andreas Jakob Romberg (1767-1821) , "Kennst du das Land", published [1799] [voice and piano], from Sechs Leder beym Claviere zu singen in Musik, no. 1, Leipzig: Bei Breitkopf und Härtel
by Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein (1829-1894) , "Mignon", op. 91 no. 4, from Die Gedichte und das Requiem fur Mignon aus Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahre", no. 4.
by Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld, née Malvina Garrigues (1825-1904) , "Kennst du das Land", published 1880 [voice and piano], from Mignon's vier Lieder von Goethe, für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Berlin, Bote & Bock
by Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957) , "Kennst du das Land?", WoO. 92 (1903?)
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) , "Kennst du das Land? (Mignons Gesang)", D. 321 (1815), published 1832.
by Robert Alexander Schumann (1810-1856) , "Kennst du das Land?", op. 79 (Liederalbum für die Jugend) no. 29.
by Robert Alexander Schumann (1810-1856) , "Kennst du das Land?", op. 98 no. 1 (1849), from Requiem für Mignon aus Goethes "Wilhelm Meister", no. 1.
by Louis [Ludwig] Spohr (1784-1859) , "Mignons Lied", op. 37 (Sechs deutsche Lieder) no. 1 (1816).
by Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini (1774-1851) , "Mignon", 1830?
by Václav Jan Křtitel Tomášek (1774-1850) , "Mignons Sehnsucht", op. 54 (Gedichte von Goethe: II) no. 1 (1815?)
by Martin Wegelius (1846-1906) , "Kennst du das Land", 1875.
by Eduard Ritter von Welz (1854-?) , "Kennst du das Land", op. 4 (Drei Lieder der Mignon aus Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister" für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1886 [voice and piano], Liegnitz, Kaulfuss
by Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) , "Mignon: Kennst du das Land?", 1888, from Goethe-Lieder, no. 9.
by Erich J. Wolff (1874-1913) , "Mignon", op. 15 (Drei Lieder von Goethe) no. 1, published 1907. [voice and piano]
by Karl Friedrich Zelter (1758-1832) , "Kennst du das Land?", 1795.

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) , "Pesn' Min'ony", op. 25 (Шесть романсов = Shest' romansov (Six romances)) no. 3.

by (Charles Louis) Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896) , "Connais-tu le pays", from the opera Mignon, no. ?, also set in Italian

by Charles Gounod (1818-1893) , "Mignon", 1871, published 1871.

by (Marie Eugène) Henri (Fouques) Duparc (1848-1933) , "Romance de Mignon", 1869.

by Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872) , "Wezwanie do Neapolu"

by (Charles Louis) Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896) , "Non conosci il bel suol", from the opera Mignon, no. ?, also set in French

by Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich (1850-1900) , "Mignon", op. 36 no. 4, H. 300 no. 4 (1871), from Jarní paprsky (Frühlingsstrahlen), no. 4, also set in German

ENG English (Walter Meyer) , "Knowest thou where?", copyright © 1996, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Paolo Montanari) , "Conosci il paese", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Conosci tu il paese", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Ken je het land?", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Pierre Mathé) , "Connais-tu le pays où les citronniers fleurissent", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English [singable] (John Bernhoff) , "Mignon", published 1907
ENG English [singable] (Charles Fonteyn Manney) , "Mignon's song"

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

Notes about green, red, and white dots

Gentle Reminder

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Knowest thou where?

 Knowest thou where the lemon blossom grows,
 In foliage dark the orange golden glows,
 A gentle breeze blows from the azure sky,
 Still stands the myrtle, and the laurel, high?
 Dost know it well?
 'Tis there! 'Tis there
 Would I with thee, oh my beloved, fare.

 Knowest the house, its roof on columns fine?
 Its hall glows brightly and its chambers shine,
 And marble figures stand and gaze at me:
 What have they done, oh wretched child, to thee?
 Dost know it well?
 'Tis there! 'Tis there
 Would I with thee, oh my protector, fare.

 Knowest the mountain with the misty shrouds?
 The mule is seeking passage through the clouds;
 In caverns dwells the dragons' ancient brood;
 The cliff rocks plunge under the rushing flood!
 Dost know it well?
 'Tis there! 'Tis there
 Leads our path! Oh father, let us fare.

Other titles: "Sehnsucht nach Italien" -> "Longing for Italy"

Authorship

Translation from German to English copyright © 1996 by Walter Meyer, walterm (AT) erols.com, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. Please contact the copyright-holder(s) when requesting permission to reprint and be sure to give proper credit.

a text in German by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) , no title, from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, Book III, Chapter 1 DUT CZE RUS ITA FRE POL

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