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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

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by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884)
Translation © by Garrett Medlock

Wohl lag' ich einst in Gram und Schmerz
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Wohl lag' ich einst in Gram und Schmerz,
Da weint' ich Nacht und Tag;
Nun wein' ich wieder, weil mein Herz
Sein Glück nicht fassen mag.

Mir ist's, als trüg' ich in der Brust
Das ganze Himmelreich!
O höchstes Leid, o höchste Lust,
Wie seid ihr euch so gleich!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Wohl lag' ich einst in Gram und Schmerz", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lieder als Intermezzo, no. 20 [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 A. von Biegeleben , "Lied und Lust", published 1882 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Wilhelm Bruch , "Wohl lag ich einst in Gram und Schmerz", published 1884 [ voice and piano ], from Sieben Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Berlin, Fürstner [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Rich. Eckhold , "Wohl lag ich einst in Gram und Schmerz", op. 1 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1878 [ voice and piano ], Dresden, Ries [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884 - 1920), "Wohl lag' ich einst in Gram und Schmerz", A. 7 (c1905-9), published 1909 [ high voice and piano ], from Five German Poems, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Robert von Hornstein (1833 - 1890), "Wohl lag ich einst", op. 1 (Drei Lieder) no. 3, published 1853 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Fritz Kauffmann (1855 - 1934), "Wohl lag ich einst in Gram und Schmerz", op. 1 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1878 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Vinzenz Lachner (1811 - 1893), "Wohl lag ich einst in Gram und Schmerz", op. 26 (4 Lieder für Sopran oder Tenor mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1854 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Mainz: Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Wohl lag ich einst in Gram", op. 136 ([Sechs] Gedichte von E. Geibel und A. Tellkamp, für Tenor oder Sopran) no. 3, published 1847 [ tenor or soprano and piano ], Hannover, Nagel [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Carl Pohlig , "Wohl lag ich einst in Gram und Schmerz", op. 2 ([17] Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung ), Heft 3 (Fünf Lieder ) no. 4, published 1879 [ voice and piano ], Kassel, Voigt [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Wohl lag ich einst in Gram" [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Heinrich Schnell (? - 1884), "Verschiedene Thränen", op. 6 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Raabe & Plothow [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Alfred Schüz (1845 - 1916), "Glück", op. 20 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1898 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Schuberth jun. [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ferdinand Sieber (1822 - 1895), "Leid und Lust", op. 9, published c1853 [ voice, cello (or horn or violin), piano ], Magdeburg: Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Bertha Frensel Wegener-Koopman (1874 - 1953), "Wohl lag' ich einst", published 1909, from Vier Lieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Autrefois abattu par le chagrin et la peine", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: John Versmoren , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 49

I once lay in grief and pain
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
I once lay in grief and pain,
There I cried night and day;
Now I cry again because my heart
Cannot grasp its luck.

I feel as if I were carrying in my breast
The whole kingdom of heaven!
Oh highest suffering, oh highest pleasure,
How are you so alike!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Wohl lag' ich einst in Gram und Schmerz" = "I once lay in grief and pain"
"Wohl lag ich einst" = "Once I lay"
"Leid und Lust" = "Suffering and pleasure"
"Verschiedene Thränen" = "Different tears"
"Wohl lag ich einst in Gram" = "I once lay in Grief"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 by Garrett Medlock, (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 Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Wohl lag' ich einst in Gram und Schmerz", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lieder als Intermezzo, no. 20
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2020-01-13
Line count: 8
Word count: 50

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