Le mal du pays | Qu'est-ce qui paralyse mon souffle

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by Friederike Robert (1795 - 1832)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Das Heimweh

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

Was ist's, das mir den Atem hemmet,
Und selbst den Seufzer unterdrückt?
Das stets in jeden Weg sich stemmet,
Und Sinn und Geist mir so verrückt?
Es ist das Heimweh! O Schmerzenslaut!
O Schmerzenslaut, wie klingst im Innern mir vertraut!

Was ist's, das mir den Willen raubet,
Zu jeder Tat mich mutlos macht?
Das mir die Flur, so grün belaubet,
Verwandelt in Gefängnissnacht?
Es ist das Heimweh! O Jammerton!
O Jammerton, wie lange tönst im Herzen schon!

Was ist's, das mich erstarrt und brennet,
Und jede Freud' und Lust vergällt?
Giebt es kein Wort, das dieses nennet,
Giebt es kein Wort in dieser Welt?
Es ist das Heimweh! O herbes Weh!
O herbes Weh! Die Heimat, ach! ich nimmer seh'.

Text Authorship:

by Friederike Robert (1795 - 1832) [author's text not yet checked 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):

misattributed to Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) and by Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Das Heimweh", op. 8 (Zwölf Gesänge [note: this is Felix Mendelssohn's opus, in which three songs were composed by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel]) no. 2 [ voice and piano ], note: this was first published under Felix Mendelssohn's name [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "L'enyorança", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Het heimwee", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Homesickness", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le mal du pays", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 120

Le mal du pays

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Qu'est-ce qui paralyse mon souffle,
Et même supprime le soupir ?
Qui s'insinue par tous les chemins
Et dérange tant mon humeur et mon esprit ?
C'est le mal du pays ! Ô cri de douleur !
Ô cri de douleur, comme tu sonnes intimement à l'intérieur de moi !

Qu'est-ce qui me vole la volonté,
Qui devant chaque tâche me décourage ?
Par qui la prairie si verte et si feuillue
Est transformée en une nuit d'emprisonnement ?
C'est le mal du pays ! Ô lamentation !
Ô lamentation, comme tu sonnes déjà depuis longtemps dans mon cœur !

Qu'est-ce qui me gèle et me brûle,
Et qui rend amer chaque joie et plaisir ?
N'y a-t-il pas de mot pour le décrire,
N'y a-t-il pas de mot dans ce monde ?
C'est le mal du pays ! Ô douleur amère !
Ô douleur amère ! La patrie, ah ! je ne te reverrai jamais.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2014 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Friederike Robert (1795 - 1832)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-05-01
Line count: 18
Word count: 140