We depart from our homeland

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by Friedrich Marc (b. 1819)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Wir wandern aus dem Vaterland

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Wir wandern aus dem Vaterland 
Wol über Berg und Thal.
So geht es immer weiter hin,
Da schaut zurück der trübe Sinn.
     Ade, ade.

Zu manchem Dorf, zu mancher Stadt
Geleitet uns der Weg.
Ob Alles deutsche Worte spricht,
Die Heimath ist es immer nicht.
     Ade, ade.

Doch wenn wir über'm Wasser sind,
Bei fremdem Volk allein,
Sind auch verschwunden Land und Leut',
Die unser deutsches Herz gefreut.
     Ade, ade.

Wir sind nun einmal auf dem Weg,
Bald fährt das Schiff vom Land.
Es ist umsonst zurückzuseh'n,
Wir müssen, müssen weiter geh'n.
     Ade, ade.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• F. Kamm

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with Friedrich Marc, Gedichte, Zweite Auflage, London: Franz Thimm, Deutsche Buchhandlung, 1859, page 102.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Marc (b. 1819), "Ade", appears in Gedichte, in Deutsche Auswandrung, in Erster Theil [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-09-09
Line count: 20
Word count: 99

We depart from our homeland

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

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We depart from our homeland
Over mountain and valley.
Thus we travel ever farther onward,
Our dismal spirit looks back then. 
     Adieu, adieu.

To many a village, to many a town
Our path takes us.
Though everyone speaks German words,
It is nevertheless not ever our homeland.
     Adieu, adieu.

But when we are across the water,
Alone among foreign folk,
Then the country and people that gladdened 
Our German hearts have also disappeared.
     Adieu, adieu.

For we are now simply on our way,
Soon the ship shall cast off.
It is useless to gaze back,
We must, we must travel on.
     Adieu, adieu.

Available sung text translations: ← What is this?

• F. Kamm

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Translations of titles:
"Abschied vom Vaterlande!" = "Parting from our homeland!"
"Ade" = "Adieu"

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.

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Marc (b. 1819), "Ade", appears in Gedichte, in Deutsche Auswandrung, in Erster Theil
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general view

This text was added to the website: 2026-10-22
Line count: 20
Word count: 108