Free fall | Which way, O Helios? To sink my fire

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by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)

Translation © by T. P. (Peter) Perrin

Wohin, o Helios? in Fluthen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE ITA

[Wohin, o Helios? in]¹ Fluthen
Will ich den Flammenleib versenken,
Gewiß im Innern, neue Gluthen
Der Erde [nach Bedarf]² zu schenken.

Ich nehme [nichts, gewohnt]³ zu geben;
Und wie verschwenderisch mein Leben,
Umhüllt mein Scheiden goldne Pracht,
Ich scheide herrlich, naht die Nacht.

Wie [bleich]⁴ der Mond, wie matt die Sterne!
So lang ich kräftig mich bewege,
Erst wenn ich [ab die]⁵ Krone lege,
[Wird ihnen Muth und Glanz in ihrer Ferne.]⁶

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• F. Schubert

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 175.

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.

¹ Schubert: "Wohin? o Helios! wohin? »In kühlen"
² Schubert: "feuerreich"
³ Schubert: "nicht, ich pflege nur"
⁴ Schubert: "blaß"
⁵ Schubert: "auf die Berge meine"
⁶ Schubert: "Gewinnen sie an Mut und Kraft in weiter Ferne.«"

Text Authorship:

by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Freywilliges Versinken" [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Freiwilliges Versinken", D 700 (1820), published 1831 [ voice, piano ], A. Diabelli & Co., VN 3708, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

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

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

Free fall

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Which way, O Helios?  To sink my fire
Under the waves for coolness I desire,
Sure at the core I thus renew my might
To fuel earth again with warmth and light.

I never take, my skill is but to give;
And yet though wholly spendthrift while I live,
I store up splendor to release when going,
Flaunt it just as night brings my undoing.

The stars unseen, the moon a watery gray,
While on the track I make my violent way;
Not till on those far hills I lay my crown
Do they gain strength, find fire that is their own.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by T. P. (Peter) Perrin, (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 Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Freywilliges Versinken"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 102

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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.