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Ich weiß eine alte Kunde, Die hallet dumpf und trüb: Ein Ritter liegt liebeswunde, Doch treulos ist sein Lieb. Als treulos muß er verachten Die eigne Herzliebste sein, Als schimpflich muß er betrachten Die eigne Liebespein. Er möcht in die Schranken reiten Und rufen die Ritter zum Streit: "Der mag sich zum [Kampfe]1 bereiten, Wer mein Lieb eines Makels zeiht!" Da würden wohl alle schweigen, Nur nicht sein eigener Schmerz; Da müßt er die Lanze neigen [Wider 's]2 eigne [klagende]3 Herz.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with: Heinrich Heine’s sämtliche Werke in vier Bänden, herausgegeben von Otto F. Lachmann, Erster Band, Leipzig: Druck und Verlag von Philipp Reclam jun, [1887], page 57.
1 Backer-Grøndahl: "Kampf"2 Backer-Grøndahl: "wieder's"
3 Backer-Grøndahl: "klagendes" (likely a typo)
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Der wunde Ritter", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Romanzen, no. 13 [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 Albert Felix, Graf Amadei (1851 - 1894), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 2 (2 Balladen für eine Alt- oder Baritonstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1873 [ alto or baritone and piano ], Wien, Gotthard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Agathe Ursula Backer-Grøndahl (1847 - 1907), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 4 (Syv Sange af J. Goethe, H. Heine, E. Geibel) no. 5 (1874), published 1875 [ voice and piano ], Kjöbenhavn: Wilhelm Hansens Forlag og Eiendom, also set in Danish (Dansk) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gerrit Jan van Eijken (1832 - 1879), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Otto Frickhoeffer (1892 - 1968), "Der wunde Ritter" [ voice and piano ], from Lieder, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Heinrich Graben-Hoffmann (1820 - 1900), "Der liebeswunde Ritter", op. 18, published 1853 [ baritone and piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen [sung text not yet checked]
- by Marie Hinrichs (1828 - 1891), "Eine alte Kunde", op. 1 (Neun Gesänge) no. 4, published 1846 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Philipp Jarnach (1892 - 1982), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 15 no. 4 [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Gesänge, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sven August Körling (1842 - 1919), "Der wunde Ritter" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 33, Heft 1 no. 5, from Sängerfahrt : sechzehn Lieder nach Gedichten von Heinrich Heine, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by August Lindner (1820 - 1878), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 30 (Drei Lieder für Bass oder Bariton mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1855 [ bass or baritone and piano ], Hannover, Bachmann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Mair (1821 - 1893), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 14 no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alberto Nepomuceno (1864 - 1920), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 20 no. 1 (1893) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Victor Ernst Nessler (1841 - 1890), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 37 (Drei Balladen für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1871 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Forberg [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Reisenauer (1863 - 1907), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 13 (Balladen und Romanzen) no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by C. H. Schmidt , "Der wunde Ritter" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jules de Swert (1843 - 1891), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 23 no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Widemann , "Der wunde Ritter", op. 2 no. 1, published 1878 [ tenor and piano ], from In Majas Zauber : Drei Gedichte, no. 1, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gotthard Wöhler (1818 - 1888), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 1 (Drei Balladen von Heine) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Danish (Dansk), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Agathe Ursula Backer-Grøndahl.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Wilhelm Aleksandrovich Sorgenfrei (1882 - 1938) ; composed by Edison Vasilyevich Denisov, G. A. Goldenberg.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chevalier blessé", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 84
I know an old story, It echoes dully and drearily: A knight lies wounded by love, But his beloved is faithless. As faithless he must scorn His own heart’s beloved, As disgraceful he must regard His own pain of loving. He wants to ride into the arena And summon the knights to a duel: "He who accuses my beloved of a flaw, Let him prepare himself for battle!" Thereupon all would fall silent, Only not his own pain; Thereupon he must turn his lance Upon his own lamenting heart.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Eine alte Kunde" = "An old story"
"Der liebeswunde Ritter" = "The knight wounded by love"
"Der wunde Ritter" = "The wounded knight"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Der wunde Ritter", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Romanzen, no. 13
This text was added to the website: 2019-10-27
Line count: 16
Word count: 89