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In die tiefsten Felsengründe Lockte mich ein Irrlicht hin: Wie ich einen Ausgang finde, Liegt nicht schwer mir in dem Sinn. Bin gewohnt das irre Gehen, 'S führt ja jeder Weg zum Ziel: Unsre Freuden, unsre [Wehen]1, Alles eines Irrlichts Spiel! Durch des Bergstroms trockne Rinnen Wind' ich ruhig mich hinab - Jeder Strom wird's Meer gewinnen, Jedes Leiden auch [ein]2 Grab.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten. Herausgegeben von Wilhelm Müller. Zweites Bändchen. Deßau 1824. Bei Christian Georg Ackermann, page 99; and with Urania. Taschenbuch auf das Jahr 1823. Neue Folge, fünfter Jahrgang. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus. 1823, page 219.
First published in Urania (see above) as no. 9 of Wanderlieder von Wilhelm Müller. Die Winterreise. In 12 Liedern.
1 Schubert: "Leiden"2 Schubert: "sein"
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827), "Das Irrlicht", written 1821-22, appears in Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten 2, in Die Winterreise, no. 18, first published 1823 [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 Reiner Bredemeyer (1929 - 1995), "Irrlicht", 1984, first performed 1985 [ baritone, horn, and piano ], from Die Winterreise, no. 18, VEB Deutscher Verlag [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Irrlicht", op. 89 no. 9, D 911 no. 9 (1827), published 1828 [ voice and piano ], from Winterreise, no. 9, Haslinger [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johannes (Hans) Wolfgang Zender (b. 1936), "Irrlicht", 1993 [ tenor and small orchestra ], from Schuberts Winterreise, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- AFR Afrikaans [singable] (Robert Schall) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Foc follet", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Dwaallicht", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Arthur Rishi) , no title, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English [singable] (David Paley) , "Will o' the wisp", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Virvaliekki", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Feu follet", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRI Frisian [singable] (Pieter Wiersma) , "Dwaalljocht", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) , "אור תעתועים", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Fuoco fatuo", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- KOR Korean (한국어/조선말) [singable] (곽명규 Myung-Kew Kwack) , "도깨비불", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Saúl Botero Restrepo) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Ofer Sheinberg , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 61
Into the deepest chasms A will-o'-the-wisp enticed me; How I will discover a path Does not concern me much. I am used to going astray; Every path leads to one goal; Our joys, our woes, Are all a will-o'-the-wisp game! Down the mountain stream's dry course I will calmly wend my way. Every stream finds the sea, Every sorrow finds its grave.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "Irrlicht" = "Will‑o'‑the‑wisp"Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Arthur Rishi, (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 Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827), "Das Irrlicht", written 1821-22, appears in Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten 2, in Die Winterreise, no. 18, first published 1823
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 62