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Sehet ihr am Fensterlein Dort die rote Mütze wieder? Nicht geheuer muß es sein, Denn er geht schon auf und nieder. Und auf einmal welch Gewühle Bei der Brücke nach dem Feld! Horch! das Feuerglöcklein gellt: Hinterm Berg, Hinterm Berg Brennt es in der Mühle! Schaut, da sprengt er wütend schier Durch das Tor, der Feuerreiter, Auf dem rippendürren Tier, Als auf einer Feuerleiter! Querfeldein, durch Qualm und Schwüle, Rennt er schon und ist am Ort! Drüben schallt es fort und fort: Hinterm Berg, Hinterm Berg, Brennt es in der Mühle! Der so oft den roten Hahn Meilenweit von fern gerochen, Mit des heil'gen Kreuzes Span Freventlich die Glut besprochen - Weh! dir grinst vom Dachgestühle Dort der Feind im Höllenschein. Gnade Gott der Seele dein! Hinterm Berg, Hinterm Berg, Rast er in der Mühle! Keine Stunde hielt es an, Bis die Mühle borst in Trümmer; Doch den kecken Reitersmann Sah man von der Stunde nimmer. Volk und Wagen im Gewühle Kehren heim von all dem Graus; Auch das Glöcklein klinget aus: Hinterm Berg, Hinterm Berg, Brennt's! - Nach der Zeit ein Müller fand Ein Gerippe samt der Mützen Aufrecht an der Kellerwand Auf der beinern Mähre sitzen: Feuerreiter, wie so kühle Reitest du in deinem Grab! Husch! da fällt's in Asche ab. Ruhe wohl, Ruhe wohl Drunten in der Mühle!
Text Authorship:
- by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875) [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):
- by Hugo Distler (1908 - 1942), "Der Feuerreiter", op. 19 (Mörike-Chorliederbuch), Heft 1 no. 13 (1939) [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert von Hornstein (1833 - 1890), "Der Feuerreiter", op. 22 (2 Gedichte v. E. Mörike) no. 1, published 1862 [ alto or baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Friedrich Kauffmann (1803 - 1856), "Der Feuerreiter" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Der Feuerreiter", 2007, first performed 2007 [ tenor and piano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rabih Merhi (b. 1976), "Der Feuerreiter", published 2005, note: from the CD "Feuerreiter. Balladen für eine neue Generation" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Der Feuerreiter", from Mörike-Lieder, no. 44 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El cavaller del foc", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The Fire-Rider", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le cavalier de feu", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Le cavalier du feu", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Il Cavaliere del fuoco", copyright © 2006, (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: 50
Word count: 219
Do you see at the window there again, that red cap? Something must be the matter for it is going up and down. And what a sudden mob is now by the bridge near the field! Hark! the fire-bell is shrilling: beyond the hill, beyond the hill, there's a fire in the mill! Look, there he goes, galloping furiously through the gate - it's the fire-rider on his horse, a bony nag like a fire-ladder! Across the fields, through the smoke and heat he plunges, and he's already reached his goal! Over there the bells are pealing, beyond the hill, beyond the hill, there's a fire in the mill! You who so often smelled fire from a mile off, and with a fragment of the holy cross maliciously conjured the blaze - woe! from the rafters there grins the Enemy of Man in hellish light. May God have mercy on your soul! Beyond the hill, beyond the hill, he is raging in the mill! Not an hour had passed before the mill was reduced to rubble; but the bold rider from that hour was never seen again. People and wagons in crowds turn toward home away from all the horror; and the bell stops ringing: beyond the hill, beyond the hill, it's burning! Later a miller found a skeleton together with the cap upright against the wall of the cellar sitting on the mare of bone: Fire-rider, how coolly you ride now to your grave! Hush! there it falls to ashes. Rest well, rest well, down there in the mill!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 50
Word count: 258