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Ich möchte ziehn in die Welt hinaus, Hinaus in die weite Welt, Wenn's nur so grün, [so grün nicht wär']1 Da draußen in Wald und Feld! Ich möchte die grünen Blätter all' Pflücken von jedem Zweig, Ich möchte die grünen Gräser all' Weinen [ganz todtenbleich]2. Ach Grün, du böse Farbe du, Was siehst mich immer an, So stolz, so keck, so schadenfroh, Mich armen weißen Mann? Ich möchte liegen vor ihrer Thür, In Sturm und Regen und Schnee, Und singen [ganz leise]3 bei Tag und Nacht Das eine Wörtchen Ade! Horch, wenn im [Wald]4 ein Jagdhorn [ruft]5, Da klingt ihr Fensterlein, Und schaut sie auch nach mir nicht aus, Darf ich doch schauen hinein. O binde von der Stirn dir ab Das grüne, grüne Band, Ade, Ade! und reiche mir Zum Abschied deine Hand!
L. Berger sets stanzas 1-2, 4-6
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten. Herausgegeben von Wilhelm Müller. Erstes Bändchen. Zweite Auflage. Deßau 1826. Bei Christian Georg Ackermann, pages 37-38; and with Sieben und siebzig Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten. Herausgegeben von Wilhelm Müller. Dessau, 1821. Bei Christian Georg Ackermann, pages 39-40.
First published in a different version with the title Das böse Grün in Der Gesellschafter oder Blätter für Geist und Herz. Herausgegeben von F. W. Gubitz. Zweiter Jahrgang. Berlin, 1818. In der Maurerschen Buchhandlung. Sonnabend den 6. Juni. 90stes Blatt, page 357.
1 Berger: "nicht wär', so grün"2 Berger: "so bleich, so bleich"
3 Berger: "leise"
4 Schubert (Neue Gesamtausgabe): "Walde"
5 Schubert: "schallt"
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827), "Die böse Farbe", appears in Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten 1, in Die schöne Müllerin, no. 20, first published 1818 [author's text checked 2 times 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 (Carl) Ludwig (Heinrich) Berger (1777 - 1839), "Der Müller", op. 11 no. 7, published 1818, stanzas 1-2,4-6, from Gesänge aus einem gesellschaftlichen Liederspiele "Die schöne Müllerin", no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Die böse Farbe", op. 25 no. 17, D 795 no. 17 (1823), from Die schöne Müllerin, no. 17 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El color maligne", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lau Kanen) , "De kwade kleur", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The Hateful Color", copyright ©
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Ilkeä väri", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La couleur méchante", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) (Athanasios Papaisiou) , "Το κακό χρώμα", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Il colore maligno", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- KOR Korean (한국어/조선말) [singable] (곽명규 Myung-Kew Kwack) , "미움의 색", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- POR Portuguese (Português) (Caê Vieira) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 141
I'd like to go out into the world, Out into the wide world; If only it weren't so green, so green, Out there in the forest and field! I would like to pluck all the green leaves From every branch, I would like to weep on all the grass Until it is deathly pale. Ah, Green, you hateful color, you, Why do you always look at me, So proud, so bold, so gloating, And me only a poor, flour-covered man? I would like to lay in front of her door, In storm and rain and snow. And sing so sofly by day and by night One little word: farewell! Hark, when in the forest a hunter's horn sounds - Her window clicks! And she looks out, but not for me; Yet I can certainly look in. O do unwind from your brow That green, green ribbon; Farewell, farewell! And give me Your hand in parting!
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 Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827), "Die böse Farbe", appears in Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten 1, in Die schöne Müllerin, no. 20, first published 1818
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 154