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Gar fröhlich kann ich scheiden, Ich hätt' es nicht gemeint; Die Trennung bringt sonst Leiden, Doch fröhlich kann ich scheiden: Sie hat um mich geweint. Wie trag' ich dieß Entzücken In stummer Brust vereint? Es will mich fast erdrücken, Wie trag' ich dieß Entzücken? Sie hat um mich geweint! Ihr Alpen, See'n und Auen, Du Mond, der sie bescheint, Euch will ich mich vertrauen: Ihr Alpen, See'n und Auen! Sie hat um mich geweint. Und sterb' ich in der Fremde, Mir [dünkt]1 nicht fürchterlich Der Schlaf im Leichenhemde; Denn, sterb' ich in der Fremde, So weint sie wohl um mich.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Carl Gottfried Ritter von Leitner. Wien, gedruckt bey J. P. Sollinger. 1825, pages 154-155; with Gedichte von Karl Gottfried Ritter v. Leitner. Zweite sehr vermehrte Auflage. Hannover. Victor Lohse. 1857, page 97; and with Huldigung den Frauen. Ein neues Taschenbuch von J. F. Castelli, für das Jahr 1824. Leipzig, im Industrie-Comptoir, pages 199-200 (here as the first of Drei Liebeslieder).
Note: Schubert adds a repetition of stanza 1 at the end of the poem (with "Drum fröhlich ..." instead of "Gar fröhlich ...").
1 Leitner (1825 edition): "däucht"Authorship:
- by Karl Gottfried von Leitner (1800 - 1890), "Fröhliches Scheiden", written 1821, first published 1824 [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 Friedrich August Hering (1819 - 1889), "Scheiden", op. 1 (Vier Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2 [ voice and piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Fröhliches Scheiden", D 896 (c1827), published 1988 [ voice, piano ], fragment, completed by Reinhard van Hoorickx [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Sigismund Thalberg (1812 - 1871), "Fröhliches Scheiden", op. 8 (Sechs deutsche Lieder, Erstes Heft) no. 4 [ voice and piano ], confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Vrolijk scheiden", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 100
I can depart with real joy, Which I had not expected; Although separation brings suffering, I can nevertheless depart joyfully: She cried over me. How can I bear this ecstasy Wrapped in my dumb breast? It will almost crush me, How can I bear this ecstasy? She cried over me! Oh mountains, lakes and meadows, Oh moon, which shines on her, I shall entrust myself to you: Oh mountains, lakes and meadows! She cried over me! And if I die in a foreign land, I shall not consider it frightful To sleep in a funeral shroud; Because, if I die in a foreign land She will really cry over me.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Fröhliches Scheiden" = "Joyful departure"
"Scheiden" = "Departure"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 by Malcolm Wren, (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 Karl Gottfried von Leitner (1800 - 1890), "Fröhliches Scheiden", written 1821, first published 1824
This text was added to the website: 2020-04-07
Line count: 20
Word count: 110