by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE ITA
Wohin? o Helios! wohin? »In kühlen Fluthen
Will ich den Flammenleib versenken,
Gewiß im Innern, neue Gluthen
Der Erde feuerreich zu schenken.

Ich nehme nicht, ich pflege nur zu geben;
Und wie verschwenderisch mein Leben,
Umhüllt mein Scheiden goldne Pracht,
Ich scheide herrlich, naht die Nacht.

Wie blaß der Mond, wie matt die Sterne!
So lang ich kräftig mich bewege,
Erst wenn ich auf die Berge meine Krone lege,
Gewinnen sie an Mut und Kraft in weiter Ferne.«

Note: Schubert received Mayrhofer's texts generally in handwriting; the printed edition of Mayrhofer's poems appeared much later and presents the texts usually in a revised version.

Composition:

    Set to music by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Freiwilliges Versinken", D 700 (1820), published 1831 [ voice, piano ], A. Diabelli & Co., VN 3708, Wien

Text Authorship:

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Enfonsament voluntari", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Vrijwillig óndergaan", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (T. P. (Peter) Perrin) , "Free fall", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chute volontaire", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Volontario inabissarsi", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 72