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»Ritter, treue Schwesterliebe Widmet Euch dieß Herz, [Fodert]1 keine andre Liebe, Denn es macht mir Schmerz. Ruhig mag ich Euch erscheinen, Ruhig gehen sehn. [Eurer]2 Augen stilles Weinen Kann ich nicht verstehn.« Und er hörts mit stummem Harme, Reißt sich blutend los, Preßt sie heftig in die Arme, Schwingt sich auf sein Roß, Schickt zu seinen Mannen allen In dem Lande Schweiz, Nach dem heil'gen Grab sie wallen, Auf der Brust das Kreuz. Große Thaten dort geschehen Durch der Helden Arm, Ihres Helmes Büsche wehen In der Feinde Schwarm, Und des Toggenburgers Nahme Schreckt den Muselmann, Doch das Herz von seinem Grame Nicht genesen kann. Und ein Jahr hat er's [getragen]3, Trägt's nicht länger mehr, Ruhe kann er nicht erjagen, Und verläßt das Heer, Sieht ein Schiff an Joppe's Strande, Das die Segel bläht, Schiffet heim zum theuren Lande, Wo ihr Athem weht. Und an ihres Schlosses Pforte Klopft der Pilger an, Ach! und mit dem Donnerworte Wird sie aufgethan: »Die Ihr suchet, trägt den Schleier, Ist des Himmels Braut, Gestern war [des Tages]4 Feier, Der sie Gott getraut.« Da verlässet er auf immer Seiner Väter Schloß, Seine Waffen sieht er nimmer, Noch sein treues Roß, Von der Toggenburg hernieder Steigt er unbekannt, Denn es deckt die [edeln]5 Glieder Härenes Gewand. Und erbaut sich eine Hütte Jener Gegend nah, Wo das Kloster aus der Mitte Düstrer Linden sah; Harrend von des Morgens Lichte Bis [zu Abends Schein]6, Stille Hoffnung im Gesichte, Saß er da allein. Blickte nach dem Kloster drüben, Blickte Stundenlang Nach dem Fenster seiner Lieben, Bis das Fenster klang, Bis die Liebliche sich zeigte, Bis das theure Bild Sich ins Thal herunter neigte, Ruhig, engelmild. Und dann legt er froh sich nieder, Schlief getröstet ein, Still sich freuend, wenn es wieder Morgen würde seyn. Und so saß er viele Tage, Saß viel Jahre lang, Harrend ohne Schmerz und Klage, Bis das Fenster klang. Bis die [Liebliche]7 sich zeigte, Bis das theure Bild Sich ins Thal herunter neigte, Ruhig, engelmild. Und so saß er, eine Leiche, Eines Morgens da, Nach dem Fenster noch das bleiche Stille Antlitz sah.
Confirmed with Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1798, herausgegeben von Schiller. Tübingen, in der J.G.Cottaischen Buchhandlung, pages 105-109; and with Gedichte von Friederich Schiller, Erster Theil. Zweite von neuem durchgesehene Auflage. Leipzig, 1804, bei Siegfried Lebrecht Crusius, pages 73-77.
1 Schubert (printed editions): "Fordert"2 Schubert (Neue Gesamtausgabe, first version): "Euer"
3 Zumsteeg, Schubert: "ertragen"
4 Zumsteeg, Schubert: "der Tag der"
5 Schubert: "edlen"
6 Zumsteeg: "zu Abendsschein"; Schubert (not in first version): "zum Abendschein"
7 Zumsteeg: "Liebende"
Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805), "Ritter Toggenburg", written 1797 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Ritter Toggenburg", 2005, first performed 2005 [ baritone and piano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernhard (Joseph) Klein (1793 - 1832), "Ritter Toggenburg", published 1836 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Ritter Toggenburg", published 1809? [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Ritter Toggenburg", D 397 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (1760 - 1802), "Ritter Toggenburg", published 1800, from Kleine Balladen und Lieder, Heft I, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom (1790 - 1855) ; composed by Erik Gustaf Geijer.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El cavaller Toggenburg", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Ridder Toggenburg", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (George MacDonald) , "Ritter Toggenburg", appears in Rampolli: Growths from a Long Planted Root. Being Translations, New and Old, Chiefly from the German, first published 1897
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "Toggenburg the Knight", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chevalier Toggenburg", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Martin-Beatus Meier , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 80
Word count: 349
"Knight, the faithful love of a sister Is what this heart can dedicate to you, Ask for no other love For that would be painful to me. I can be calm when you appear And calm if I see you leave; It is the quiet weeping of your eyes That I cannot understand." And he listens to this with a silent grief, He tears himself away, bleeding, Presses her ardently in his arms, Leaps onto his horse, And sends for all his troops In the land of Switzerland; They go off on pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre With a cross on their breasts. Great deeds are performed there Using the strong arms of heroes, The plumes on their helmets blow Amongst the swarm of enemies, And the name of Toggenburg Terrifies the Muslims; But his heart still feels its grief And cannot be healed. And having borne this for a year, He cannot bear it any longer, He cannot attain any inner peace And he leaves the army, He sees a ship off the coast at Jaffa With its sails billowing, He takes the ship home to the dear land Where her breath blows. And when he comes the the door of her castle The pilgrim knocks on it, Oh! and with thunderous words The door is opened: "The woman you are looking for is now wearing the veil, She is the bride of heaven; Yesterday was the day when we celebrated Her giving herself to God." And so he leaves for ever The castle of his forefathers, He never again sees his weapons Or his faithful horse. He leaves Toggenburg behind, Descending without being recognised, For his noble limbs are now covered With a hairshirt. And he builds himself a hut Close to that area, Where he could see the cloister from the middle Of gloomy lime trees; Waiting from the first light of day Until the last glow of evening, With hope on his face, He sat there alone. He looked over at the cloister, He watched for many an hour Keeping an eye on his beloved's window, Until there was a sound at the window, Until the beloved showed herself, Until the dear image Bent down towards the valley, Peacefully, as gentle as an angel. And then he lay down happily, Fell asleep feeling comforted, Looking forward to the point when once again It would be morning. And thus he sat for many days, He sat for many long years, Waiting without pain or complaint Until there was a sound at the window. Until the beloved showed herself, Until the dear image Bent down towards the valley, Peacefully, as gentle as an angel. And similarly he was still sitting there, a corpse, One morning, there he was, Still looking at the window, his pale, Quiet face still watching.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 by Malcolm Wren, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805), "Ritter Toggenburg", written 1797
This text was added to the website: 2017-07-16
Line count: 80
Word count: 471