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by (Karl) Wilhelm Osterwald (1820 - 1887)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Da die Stunde kam, daß ich Abschied nahm
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Da die Stunde kam, daß ich Abschied nahm,
  Sah ich nicht den wunderschönen Mai:
Hab' nur eins gewußt, als ich wandern mußt',
  Daß von dir, von dir ich ferne sei.

Sang und Blüthenduft schweben durch die Luft,
  Doch an mir flog alle Lust vorbei:
Hab nur eins gewußt, als ich wandern mußt',
  Daß von dir, von dir ich ferne sei.

Nun ich wiederkehr', fühl' ich nimmermehr,
  Daß die Geißel schon der Winter schwingt,
Denn ich weiß es ja, daß die Stunde nah,
  Die zu dir, zu dir mich wiederbringt.

Wenn mich wild umziehn Sturmes Melodien,
  Wie ein Maisang mir die Luft erklingt,
Denn ich weiß es ja, daß die Stunde nah,
  Die zu dir, zu dir mich wiederbringt.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   O. Dresel •   R. Franz 

R. Franz sets stanzas 1-3
O. Dresel sets stanzas 1-3

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with Gedichte von Wilhelm Osterwald, Dritte umgearbeitete und vermehrte Auflage, Leipzig, Verlag von F. G. C. Leuckart (Constantin Sander), 1873, no title, page 109. In later editions, the poem was given the title "Wiederkehr"


Text Authorship:

  • by (Karl) Wilhelm Osterwald (1820 - 1887), "Wiederkehr", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch: Lieder, no. 99, first published 1848 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2008-04-07
Line count: 16
Word count: 122

When the hour came that I took farewell
NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
When the hour came that I took farewell,
  I did not see the wondrously beautiful May:
I knew only one thing when I had to go wandering,
  That I would be far away from you, from you.

Singing and blossom-scent waft through the air,
  But all the beauty passed me in swift flight:
I knew only one thing, when I had to go wandering,
  That I would be far away from you, from you.

Now that I am returning, I nevermore feel
  That winter is already brandishing its whip,
For I know that the hour is near
  That brings me back to you, to you.

When the melodies of the storm circle me wildly,
  The air resounds like a song in Maytime,
For I know that the hour is near
  That brings me back to you, to you.

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Translations of titles:
"Da die Stunde kam" = "When the hour came"
"Da die Stunde kam, dass ich Abschied nahm" = "When the hour came that I took farewell"
"Lied im Volkston" = "Song in a folk-like manner"
"Wiederkehr" = "Return"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by (Karl) Wilhelm Osterwald (1820 - 1887), "Wiederkehr", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch: Lieder, no. 99, first published 1848
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general view


This text was added to the website: 2026-04-20
Line count: 16
Word count: 142

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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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