In's Blaue -- da schau' ich oft lange hinein;
So oft mir die grünende Erde zu klein, 
Da schau' ich hinauf in die blauen Höh'n, 
Bis still mir die Augen in Thränen vergeh'n.

Wohl sinken die Blätter, es [starrt]1 die Au,
Doch leuchtet unendlich das himmlische Blau;
D'rum seh' ich viel lieber, als [irdische]2 Pracht,
[In's]3 Blaue, das ewig hoch über uns lacht.

Wankt je mir der Glaube hier unten im Thal, 
Und sinkt meine Hoffnung all' überall, 
Und scharren sie tief einen Freund mir in's Grün, 
Da glaub' ich und hoff' ich in's Blaue hin. 

Und wird es oft dunkel rund um mich her,
Das [eigene]4 Herz in der Brust mir so schwer,
[Da]5 blick' ich hinauf in den Vollmondschein, 
Da dicht' ich und [träum' ich]6 in's Blaue hinein.

Und ist nun gar einmal ihr [Auge]7 umflort,
In irdischem Dunkel der himmlische Hort,
Da faßt mich vor Allem hienieden ein Graus, 
Da wein' ich, und liebe in's Blaue hinaus.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Note: When this poem was published in Tschabuschigg’s Gedichte in 1833, there were a few word changes and the third stanza above was omitted. Since Lang set all five stanzas, the earlier publication was used to confirm her text. There are two manuscript copies of Lang’s unpublished song.

Confirmed with Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, 57 (Donnerstag, den 13. May 1830), page 465.

¹ Lang (both versions): "starret"
² Lang (V1): "irdischer"
³ Lang (both versions): "Das"
⁴ Lang (both versions): "eig'ne"
⁵ Lang (both versions): "Und"
⁶ Lang (both versions): "träume"
⁷ Lang (V2): "Aug"

Text Authorship:

• by Adolf Ritter von Tschabuschnigg (1809 - 1877), "In's Blaue", first published 1830 [author's text checked 1 time 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• by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Ins Blaue", 1833 [ voice and piano ], unpublished  [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Carl Theodor Seiffert (1805 - 1885), "Ins Blaue, da schau ich", op. 2 no. 4, published 1835 [ voice and piano ], Schleusingen: Glaser [sung text not yet checked]

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

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Into the blue", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-01-09
Line count: 20
Word count: 166

Into the blue -- I often gaze into it for a long time;
Whenever the green-burgeoning world feels too small to me,
Then I look up into the blue heights,
Until my eyes quietly dissolve in tears.

The leaves drift down, the meadow freezes,
But the heavenly blue shines unendingly;
Therefore, much rather than upon earthly splendour, 
I love to gaze [into]1 the blueness that eternally smiles high above us.

If my faith ever falters down here in the valley,
And if my hope sinks everywhere,
And if they bury a friend of mine deep in the greenery,
Then I believe and I hope into the blue.

And when it often grows dark round about me,
[When] my own heart becomes so heavy in my bosom,
[Then]2 I gaze upward into the light of the full moon,
Then I work creatively and [I dream]3 into the blue.

And if for once her eyes are utterly veiled,
[If] the heavenly refuge [is] shrouded in earthly darkness,
Then am I seized with a horror of all things here below,
Then I weep, and love out into the blue.