Siehst du dort die Wolken eilen?
Ja, mit ihnen möcht' ich gern.
[Doch ich muss]1 allein hier weilen,
Ist das Liebste mir so fern!

Wolken ihr am Himmelsbogen,
[Eilt]2 doch nicht so schnell von mir,
Bin ja oft mit euch gezogen, 
Lasst mich nicht so einsam hier!

[Ach]3 sie gehen wie sie kommen,
Hören nicht mein [flehend]4 Wort,
Haben mich nicht [mitgenommen]5,
Eilen flüchtig weiter fort!

O so grüsst mir doch die Lieben,
Welche Ferne von mir schied,
Grüsst sie mir, die treu mir blieben,
Bringet ihnen dies mein Lied!

Wolken! segelt durch die Lüfte,
Grüsset mir mein Heimatland!
O dass ich auch mit euch schiffte
An des Himmels blauen Rand.

Einsam weil' ich in der Ferne,
Meine Sehnsucht in der Brust.
Ach! [mit euch zög]6 ich so gerne,
Ach, bei [euch]7 ist meine Lust!

B. Randhartinger sets stanzas 1-3, 6

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Randhartinger: "Muss ich denn"
² Randhartinger: "Geht"
³ Randhartinger: "Doch"
⁴ Randhartinger: "bittend"
⁵ Randhartinger: "aufgenommen"
⁶ Randhartinger: "bei dir wär'"
⁷ Randhartinger: "dir"

Text Authorship:

• by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked 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 Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Aus der Ferne", op. 13 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3, published 1847 [ soprano and piano ], Mainz, Antwerpen, und Brüssel: B. Schott's Söhne [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Die Wolken", stanzas 1-3,6 [sung text checked 1 time]

Set in a modified version by Theodor Elze, H. J. Hasenpflug, Eduard Kunz.

• Go to the text. [ view differences ]
  

Set in a modified version by W. Cramer.

• Go to the text. [ view differences ]
  

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

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "From out of the distance", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2006-12-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 143

Do you see the clouds scurrying yonder[?]
Yes, I would love to journey with them.
But I have to remain here alone.
What is most dear to me is so far away!

You clouds on the firmament,
Do not hurry away from me so quickly.
I have often traveled with you.
Do not leave me here so alone!

Ah, they go as they come,
They do not hear my beseeching words.
They did not take me along with them, 
They hurry fleetingly onward!

Oh, convey my greetings to the dear ones, 
Whom distance separated from me. 
Greet those who remained true to me.
Bring them this, my song!

Clouds, sail through the skies,
Convey my greetings to my homelad!
Oh, that I could sail with you
On the blue edge of heaven.

Lonely, I tarry far away,
With my longing in my breast.
Ah, I would so much love to travel with you!
Ah, my desires are with you!