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Meiner Heimat Namen soll ich sagen? Irgendeinen andern mußt du fragen, Dem des Sternenhimmels weite Räume Wohlbekannt sind und das Land der Träume. Meine Heimat liegt in goldnem Kreise, Keines Wanderers noch Schiffers Reise Mag die schönen, silberhellen, weichen Küsten und Gestade je erreichen, Keines Weisen Mund nennt ihren Namen; Dennoch viele sind, die dorther kamen, Viele, die in Heimwehnächten ferne Sie erträumen im Bezirk der Sterne, Die in Angst und Sehnen nach ihr rufen, Die ihr Bild in dunkler Seele schufen Und die Ahnung alles Besten, Großen In dies Bild und alle Liebe schlossen. Dieser Einer bin ich, und ich reise Ohne Rast nach jenem goldenen Kreise. Deiner Stimme Klang und deines Haares Koseduft weckt mir ein wunderbares, Liebes Angedenken jenes Landes, Dessen namenloses, unbekanntes Heimatglück ich Ahnender empfunden Jenes Tages, da ich dich gefunden. Und ich ahne: unsre regen Seelen, Während auf den ruhigen Kanälen Uns die Gondel führt auf Dämmerwegen, Reisen meinem Vaterland entgegen, Reden heimatlich vertraute Worte, Pochen an des fernen Landes Pforte, Sagen seinen fremden, selig süßen Namen, während unsre Lippen küssen.
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Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 86.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), no title, written 1902, appears in Unterwegs, in Venezianische Gondelgespräche, no. 4, first published 1911 [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 Richard Maux (1893 - 1971), "Meiner Heimat Namen soll ich sagen?", op. 181 no. 14, published 1941 [ high voice or medium-high voice and piano ], from Italische Reise, no. 14 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "T’haig de dir el nom del meu país?", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "I am to say the name of my homeland?", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Dois-je dire le nom de ma patrie ?", copyright © 2013, (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: 2009-05-24
Line count: 32
Word count: 177
I am to say the name of my homeland? You must ask anyone else To whom the wide expanses of the starry sky And the land of dreams are well known. My homeland lies in a golden circle, No wanderer’s nor sailor’s journey May ever reach the beautiful, silver-bright Soft coasts and shores, No wise man’s lips speak its name; Nevertheless, there are many who came from there, Many who, in home-sick nights dream it Distantly in the realm of the stars, Who in fear and yearning call for it, Who created its image in their dark souls And enclosed in this image and in all love The premonition of all that is best, that is great. I am one of these, and without rest I travel toward that golden circle. The sound of your voice and the caressing Scent of your hair wakens for me A wondrous, dear remembrance of that land, Whose nameless, unknown Homeland-joy I, the presaging one, felt On the day that I found you. And I have a premonition: our active souls, While upon the peaceful canals The gondola carries us upon twilit routes, [Our souls] travel toward my fatherland, [Our souls] exchange homey, familiar words, Knock upon the gate of the distant land, Speak its foreign, blessedly sweet Name, while our lips meet in a kiss.
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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), no title, written 1902, appears in Unterwegs, in Venezianische Gondelgespräche, no. 4, first published 1911
This text was added to the website: 2019-02-21
Line count: 32
Word count: 222