Ich sah als Knabe Blumen blühn

Ich sah als Knabe Blumen blühn -
Ich weiß nicht mehr, was war es doch?
Ich sah die Sonne drüber glühn -
Mich dünkt, ich seh' es noch.

Es war ein Duft, es war ein Glanz,
Die Seele sog ihn durstend ein.
Ich pflückte sie zu einem Kranz - 
Wo mag er blieben sein?

Ich such' an jedem Blümchen nach
Um jenen Schmelz, um jenes Licht,
Ich forsche jeden Sommertag -
Doch solche find' ich nicht.

Ihr wußtet nimmer, was ich trieb?
Ich suchte meinen alten Kranz.
Er war so frisch, so licht, so lieb -
Es war der Jugendglanz.

Translation(s): DUT ENG FRE ITA

List of language codes

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship

• by Klaus Groth (1819 - 1899), "Heimweh III", appears in Hundert Blätter, Paralipomena zum Quickborn, Hamburg, first published 1854 [ author's text checked 1 time]

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

• by Carl Banck (1809 - 1889), "Der Jugendkranz", op. 83 no. 6, published 1886 [medium voice and piano], from Herbstklänge. Acht Gesänge für 1 mittlere Stimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 6, Dresden, Hoffarth [
   text not verified 
  ]
• by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Heimweh III", op. 63 (Neun Lieder und Gesänge) no. 9 (1874), published 1875 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Peters [
   text verified 1 time
  ]

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

• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , title 1: "Homesickness III", copyright ©
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , title 1: "Nostalgia III", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "Mal du pays III", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , title 1: "Heimwee III", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

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Browse imslp.org (Petrucci Music Library) for Lieder or choral works