Ich habe geklopft an des Reichtums Haus

Ich habe geklopft an des Reichtums Haus;
Man reicht mir 'nen Pfennig zum Fenster heraus.
Ich habe geklopft an der Liebe Thür;
Da standen schon fünfzehn Andre dafür.
Ich klopfte leis' an der Ehre Schloß;
"Hier thut man nur auf dem Ritter zu Roß."
Ich habe gesucht der Arbeit Dach;
Da hört' ich drinnen nur Weh und Ach!
Ich suchte das Haus der Zufriedenheit;
Es kannt' es niemand weit und breit.
Nun weiß ich noch ein Häuslein still,
Wo ich zuletzt anklopfen will.
Zwar wohnt darin schon macher Gast,
Doch ist für Viele im Grab noch Rast.

Translation(s): ENG FRE

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Authorship

• by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Vor den Thüren" [ 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 A. M. Caspary , "Vor den Thüren", published 1877 [voice and piano], from Drei Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Königsberg, Jakubowski [
   text not verified 
  ]
• by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Vor den Türen", AV. 123 no. 1 (1935) [men's chorus a cappella], from Drei Männerchöre nach Gedichten von Friedrich Rückert, no. 1. [
   text verified 1 time
  ]

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

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , title 1: "Before various doors", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "Devant les portes", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website: 2012-06-20.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:04:57
Line count: 14
Word count: 97

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Before various doors

I knocked at the house of wealth;
I was handed a penny through the window.
I knocked on the door of love;
There were already fifteen others in line ahead of me.
I knocked softly at the castle of honour;
"Here we open only to knights on horseback."
I looked for the house that sheltered labour;
Within I heard only cries of lamentation!
I searched for the house of contentment;
No one far and wide knew of it.
Now I still know of a quiet little house
At which I shall finally knock.
To be sure, many a guest is already abiding therein,
But in the grave there is still a resting place for many.

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Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 by Sharon Krebs, (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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• a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Vor den Thüren" FRE
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): A. M. Caspary, Richard Georg Strauss. Go to the text.

Text added to the website: 2013-06-24.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:05:14
Line count: 14
Word count: 115