Was will die einsame Thräne?
Sie trübt mir ja den Blick.
Sie blieb aus alten Zeiten
In meinem Auge zurück.

Sie [hatte]1 viel' leuchtende Schwestern,
Die alle zerflossen sind,
Mit meinen Qualen und Freuden,
Zerflossen in Nacht und Wind.

Wie Nebel sind auch zerflossen
Die blauen Sternelein,
Die mir [jene]2 Freuden und Qualen
Gelächelt ins Herz hinein.

Ach, meine Liebe selber
Zerfloß wie eitel Hauch!
Du alte, einsame Thräne,
Zerfließe jetzunder auch!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Buch der Lieder von Heinrich Heine, Sechsundfünfzigste Auflage (56th edition), Hamburg, Hoffmann und Campe, 1887, page 147. Note: in this edition, the poem is number 29.

Modern German would change "Thräne" to "Träne".

¹ Franz: "hat"
² Cornelius: "die"

Text Authorship:

• by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), title 1: "Was will die einsame Träne", title 2: "Was will die einsame Thräne?", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 27 [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 Eyvind Alnæs (1872 - 1932), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 6 (Fünf Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte = Fem Sange til Texter for en Mellemstemme) no. 4, published 1897 [ voice and piano ], Christiania, Warmuth [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Emma Babnigg (1823 - 1904), "Die Träne", op. 6 (Lieder) no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Heike Beckmann (b. 1959), "Was will die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Johann Gottfried) Heinrich Bellermann (1832 - 1903), "Was will die einsame Träne" [ voice, piano, violin obbligato ], from Zwölf Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 12, Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag (also published in 1877 by Berlin, Bahn) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Julius Benoni (1833 - 1870), "Die Träne", published 1850, from Zwei Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans von Blome (1834 - 1921), "Die Träne", op. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by János Bókay (b. 1858), "Was will die einsame Träne", published 1925, from Heine-dalok, no. 12 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Nadia Boulanger (1887 - 1979), "Was will die einsame Träne?", published 1909 [ voice and piano ], Heugel, also set in French (Français) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans (August Alexander) Bronsart (1830 - 1913), "Was will die einsame Träne", published 1855, from 30 Lieder, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Pyotr Petrovich Bulakhov (1822 - 1885), "Was will die einsame Träne", also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Guido, Freiherr von Bülow (1830 - 1894), "Was will die einsame Träne", from Sechs Lieder von Heinrich Heine, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Jeannette Antonie Bürde, née Milder (c1799 - 1875), "Die einsame Träne", op. 9 (Drei Gesänge) no. 3, published 1850 [ alto or bass and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Akos von Buttykay (1871 - 1935), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 2 (Drei Lieder) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Die Heimkehr", 1848 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Carl Heinrich Cornill (1854 - 1920), "Was will die einsame Träne", from Lieder, no. 12 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Anton Antonovich Derfeldt (1810 - 1869), "Was will die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Bernard van Dieren (1887 - 1936), "Was will die einsame Träne", 1930, published 1930 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Aleksandr Ivanovich Dyubyuk (1812 - 1897), "Was will die einsame Träne", also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]
• by O. Esfonde , "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 2 (Lieder) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alexander Fesca (1820 - 1849), "Die einsame Träne", op. 32 (Sechs Lieder für Sopran oder Tenor mit Piano) no. 3, published 1844 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Braunschweig, Meyer [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Karl August Friedrich Fetzer (1809 - 1885), "Die Träne", op. 2 (Sechs Lieder) no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 34 (Sechs Lieder) no. 1 (1861?), published 1861 [ voice and piano ], Breslau, Leuckart [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Fr. Gartner , "Die einsame Träne", op. 9 (Sechs Lieder), Heft 2 no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Christian Friedrich Grimmer (1798 - 1850), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 6 (Sechs Lieder von H. Heine) no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ferdinand Gumbert (1818 - 1896), "Die einsame Träne", op. 91 (5 Lieder für Sopran (oder Tenor) mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1859 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Aleksandr Lvovich Gurilyov (1803 - 1858), "Was will die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Stephen (István) Heller (1813 - 1888), "Was will die einsame Träne", 1830-8?, published <<1835, from Sieben deutsche Lieder, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Was will die einsame Träne", 1827 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Hermann (1869 - 1912), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 5 (Sechs kleine Lieder für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1895 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Junne [sung text not yet checked]
• by M. Hermann-Ehren , "Die einsame Träne" [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Béla Hiloczky , "Was will die einsame Träne", from Zwei Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Caspar René Hirschfeld (b. 1965), "Die einsame Träne", op. 52 (10 heimliche Liebeslieder nach Texten von Heinrich Heine) no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Vojtěch Hlaváč (1849 - 1911), "Was will die einsame Träne", also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Heinrich) Otto Jaritz , "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 6 (Lieder) no. 2, published 1876 [ voice and piano ], Hamburg, Hentze [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Karl) Emil Kauffmann (1836 - 1909), "Die einsame Träne", op. 7 (Vier Lieder) no. 3, published 1866 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Stuttgart, Zumsteeg  [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gennady Osipovich Korganov (1858 - 1890), "Was will die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Die einsame Träne", op. 33, Heft 3 no. 2, from Sängerfahrt : sechzehn Lieder nach Gedichten von Heinrich Heine, no. 13 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Eduard Lassen (1830 - 1904), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 94 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1895 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
• by Martin Lesser , "Was will die einsame Träne", from Zwei Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alfred von Lindheim, jun. , "Was will die einsame Thräne", op. 5, published 1893 [ voice and piano ], from Neun Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 5, Wien, Doblinger [sung text not yet checked]
• by Heinrich Lorscheidt , "Die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by L. Lüdecke , "Was will die einsame Träne" [ duet for 2 voices and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Lührss (1824 - 1882), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 11 (6 Lieder) no. 5, published 1845 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by George Alexander MacFarren (1813 - 1887), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 51 (Drei Lieder aus H. Heines Reisebildern) no. 3, published 1845 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ladislao (László) de Makray , "Die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Leonid Dimitrievitch Malashkin (1842 - 1902), "Was will die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Was will die einsame Träne", <<1837 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ernest Nikolayevich Merten (1814 - 1876), "Die einsame Träne", op. 10 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1883 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kahnt, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "Was will die einsame Thräne?", op. 339 (Acht Lieder nach Heinrich Heine) no. 5 (2022) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Victor Ernst Nessler (1841 - 1890), "Die Träne", op. 43 (Vier Lieder von Heine) no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Sigismund von Neukomm (1778 - 1858), "Die einsame Thräne : die Worte von Heine : strophen Lied", 1853 [sung text not yet checked]
• by R. Nietzsche , "Die einsame Träne", from Drei Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alfred Reisenauer (1863 - 1907), "Was will die einsame Träne", from Traurige Lieder, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Karl Gottlieb Reissiger (1798 - 1859), "Was will die einsame Thräne?", op. 96 (Ernste und heitere Lieder) no. 8, published 1834, from Ernste und heitere Lieder für Mezzosopran, Alt, Bariton oder Bass, no. 8, Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
• by Josef Roch , "Was will die einsame Thräne", published 1876 [ tenor and piano ], Budapest, Táborszky & Parsch , also set in Hungarian (Magyar) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Scott Root , "Was will die einsame Träne", c1999, from Herzen-Tränen : three art songs on texts by Heinrich Heine, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hermann Schellenberg , "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 6 (Fünf Lieder) no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by G. Scheller , "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 1 (Zwölf Lieder), Heft 2 no. 12 [ soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Peter Petrovich Schenk , "Was will die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Adolf Schimon (1820 - 1887), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 28 (Lieder), Heft 2 no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Julius Caesar Schmidt (1818 - 1906), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 3 (Lieder) no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 25 no. 21 (1840), published 1840 [ voice and piano ], from Myrten, no. 21, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ferdinand Sieber (1822 - 1895), "Die Träne", op. 14 (Lieder) no. 4 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Frantisek Zdenek Xavier Alois Skuhersky (1830 - 1892), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 6 (Drei Gedichte von H. Heine) no. 3 [ bass and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Nikolay Aleksandrovich Sokolov (1859 - 1922), "Was will die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Julius Stern (1820 - 1883), "Die Träne", op. 17 (Vier Lieder) no. 3, published 1843 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Berlin, Schlesinger  [sung text not yet checked]
• by Sigismund Thalberg (1812 - 1871), "Die Träne", op. 11 (Sechs deutsche Lieder, Zweites Heft) no. 5, published 1833 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Feofil Matveyevich Tolstoy (1809 - 1881), "Was will die einsame Träne" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Th. Trendelenburg , "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 1 (Sechs Lieder von H. Heine) no. 6, published 1835 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Frank Valentin Van der Stucken (1858 - 1929), "Einsame Träne", op. 17 (Acht Lieder) no. 2, published 1892 [ low voice and piano ], Berlin, Luckhardt [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803 - 1883), "Was will die einsame Träne", published 1851, from Die Heimkehr : 88 Gedichte aus H. Heine's Reisebildern, no. 27 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Otto Wangemann (1848 - 1914), "Die Träne", op. 30 (Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 5, published 1884 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Paez [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johannes Wendel , "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 5 no. 2, published 1874 [ voice and piano ], from Kleine Blumen, kleine Blätter. Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 2, Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
• by Heinrich Rudolph Willmers (1821 - 1878), "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 31 (Zehn Liebeslieder), Heft 1 no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by A. Woeltge , "Was will die einsame Träne", op. 6 (Fünf Lieder) no. 5 [ soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Zerrahn (1826 - 1910), "Die einsame Träne", published 1861, from Four songs, no. 1, also set in English [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Homer Newton Bartlett.
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• Also set in English, a translation by Mary Alexander (1806 - 1859) ; composed by Fanny Hensel.
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• Also set in English, a translation by Edgar Alfred Bowring (1826 - 1911) , no title, appears in The Poems of Heine Complete, first published 1861 ; composed by Carl Zerrahn.
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• Also set in French (Français), a translation by Georges Clerc (flourished c1881) , no title, appears in Mon videpoche, in 3. Traductions et variations d'après H. Heine, no. 11, Paris, Éd. P. Ollendorff, first published 1881 ; composed by André Messager.
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• Also set in French (Français), a translation by Michael Ashkenazi (1851 - 1914) ; composed by Nadia Boulanger.
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• Also set in Hungarian (Magyar), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Josef Roch.
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• Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Apollon Nikolayevich Maykov (1821 - 1897) , no title, written 1857 ; composed by Pavel Petrovich Bulakhov, Aleksandr Ivanovich Dyubyuk, Vojtěch Hlaváč, as Войтех Иванович Главач.
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• Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Fyodor Bogdanovich Miller (1818 - 1881) , first published 1848 [an adaptation] ; composed by Pavel Petrovich Bulakhov.
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• Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Aleksandr Nikolayevich Ostrovsky (1823 - 1886) ; composed by Ernest Nikolayevich Merten.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Marta Garcia Cadena) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Jos. Van de Vijver) , "Eenzame traan"
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Wat wil het eenzame traantje?", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "What does this solitary tear mean?", copyright ©
• ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Que veut cette larme solitaire", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Cosa vuole questa lacrima solitaria?", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 74