Auf der Donau

Auf der Wellen Spiegel
Schwimmt der Kahn.
Alte Burgen ragen
Himmelan;
Tannenwälder rauschen
[Geistergleich -]1
Und das Herz im Busen
Wird uns weich.

Denn der Menschen Werke
Sinken all';
Wo ist [Thurm und]2 Pforte,
Wo der Wall,
Wo sie selbst, die Starken?
Erzgeschirmt,
Die in Krieg und Jagden
Hingestürmt.

Trauriges Gestrüppe
Wuchert fort,
Während frommer Sage
Kraft verdorrt.
Und im kleinen Kahne
Wird uns bang -
Wellen droh'n, wie Zeiten,
Untergang.

Translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA

List of language codes

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, pages 18-19; and with Mahlerisches Taschenbuch für Freunde interessanter Gegenden Natur- und Kunst Merkwürdigkeiten der Österreichischen Monarchie. Sechster Jahrgang. Wien, 1818. Im Verlage bey Anton Doll, pages 1-2.

Authorship

• by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Auf der Donau", first published 1818 [ author's text checked 2 times]

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

• by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Auf der Donau", op. 21 (Drei Lieder) no. 1, D. 553 (1817), published 1823 [voice, piano], Sauer & Leidesdorf, VN 276, Wien [ sung text verified 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Al Danubi", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Op de Donau", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "On the Danube", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sur le Danube", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Sul Danubio", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

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