by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857) and sometimes misattributed to Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862)
Translation © by Walter A. Aue

Das Mühlrad
 (Sung text for setting by C. Kreutzer)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG FRE ITA LIT
In jenem Tale dort unten
da geht ein Mühlenrad,
mein Liebchen ist verschwunden,
das dort gewohnet hat.

Sie hat mir Treue versprochen,
gab mir einen Ring dabei,
sie hat die Treue gebrochen,
das Ringlein sprang entzwei.

Ich möcht' als Spielmann reisen
wohl in die Welt hinaus,
und singen meine Weisen
und zieh'n von Haus zu Haus.

Ich möcht' als Reiter fliegen
wohl in die blut'ge Schlacht,
an stillem Feuer liegen
einsam bei kühler Nacht.

Ich hör das Mühlrad gehen,
und weiß nicht, was ich will,
Ich möcht' am liebsten sterben,
Dann wär's auf einmal still.

Note: Kreutzer's version is sometimes erroneously credited to Uhland. The original poem is also sometimes titled "Untreue" and substitutes "Liebste" for "Liebchen" in line 1-3.

Composition:

    Set to music by Conradin Kreutzer (1780 - 1849), "Das Mühlrad", op. 72 no. 1, KWV 9110 no. 1, published [c1816] [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder, no. 1, Wien, Pennauer

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
  • ENG English [singable] (Walter A. Aue) , "The mill wheel (The broken ringlet)", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Dans une froide vallée", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "La ruota del mulino", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Laura Stanfield Prichard [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 103

The mill wheel (The broken ringlet)
 (Sung text translation for setting by C. Kreutzer)
 See original
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Down there in verdant meadows,
a mill wheel turns around.
My true love's turned to shadows
whom at the mill I found.

Gave me a ring as token
of love forever true;
her promise she has broken,
the ringlet rent in two.

As troubadour I'll wander
the world without a frown,
I'll sing my songs and ponder
and roam from town to town.

As horseman I will fly in
the battle's bloody fight,
round fires I will lie in
the fields in dark of night.
 
Hear I the mill wheel sighing?
I know not what to will.
I will that I was dying,
then everything were still.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 by Walter A. Aue, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Walter A. Aue.  Contact: waue (AT) dal (DOT) ca

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Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2010-03-26
Line count: 20
Word count: 107