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by Else Lasker-Schüler (1869 - 1945)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Heimweh
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  FRE
Ich kann die Sprache
Dieses kühlen Landes nicht,
Und seinen Schritt nicht gehn.

Auch die Wolken, die vorbeiziehn,
Weiß ich nicht zu deuten.

Die Nacht ist eine Stiefkönigin.

Immer muß ich an die Pharaonenwälder denken
Und küsse die Bilder meiner Sterne.

meine Lippen leuchten schon
Und sprechen Fernes,

Und bin ein buntes Bilderbuch
Auf deinem Schoß.

Aber dein Antlitz spinnt
Einen Schleier aus Weinen.

Meinen schillernden Vögeln
Sind die Korallen ausgestochen,

An den Hecken der Gärten
Versteinern sich ihre weichen Nester.

Wer salbt meine toten Paläste -
Sie trugen die Kronen meiner Väter,
Ihre Gebete versanken im heiligen Fluß.

Text Authorship:

  • by Else Lasker-Schüler (1869 - 1945), "Heimweh", appears in Meine Wunder, first published 1911 [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 Arthur Dangel (b. 1931), "Heimweh", op. 57 no. 12 (1991) [ alto and piano ], from Else-Zyklus II - Sechzehn Lieder mit Gedichten von Else Lasker-Schüler aus «Meine Wunder», no. 12 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ferdinand Henkemeyer (1928 - 2015), "Heimweh", 1995, first performed 1996 [ soprano, alto, reciter, women's chorus, instrumental ensemble ], from »Wandelhin – Taumelher«. Zyklus für Sopran, Alt, Sprecherin, Frauenchor und Instrumental-Ensemble, no. 15 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Konrad Hupfer (b. 1935), "Heimweh", 1994, first performed 1994 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder für Sing- und Sprechstimme und Klavier, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Heimweh", 1986/2005 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from 54 Lieder für Mezzosopran und Klavier, no. 22 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Leo Solter (b. 1978), "Heimweh", first performed 2017 [ 3 voices and instrumental ensemble ], from Drei Lieder für 3 Sänger, Keyboard, Schlagzeug und Synthesizer, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Sybil Westendorp (1910 - 1999), "Heimweh", 1980 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Mal du pays", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Karl Bellenberg [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2012-11-09
Line count: 21
Word count: 98

Mal du pays
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Je ne sais ni la langue
De ce pays froid,
Ni aller à son pas.

Les nuages aussi qui passent,
Je ne sais les interpréter.

La nuit est une belle-reine.

Il me faut toujours penser aux forêts du pharaon
Et j'embrasse les images de mes étoiles.

Mes lèvres brillent déjà
Et disent le lointain,

Et je suis un livre d'images en couleur
Sur tes genoux.

Mais ton visage file
Un voile de larmes.

De mes oiseaux chatoyants
On a arraché les coraux,

Dans les haies des jardins 
Leurs nids douillets sont pétrifiés.

Qui oint mes palais morts --
Qui conservent les couronnes de mes pères --
Ses prières se noient dans le fleuve sacré.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2012 by Pierre Mathé, (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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Else Lasker-Schüler (1869 - 1945), "Heimweh", appears in Meine Wunder, first published 1911
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2012-12-03
Line count: 21
Word count: 112

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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