Adieu, dear land, loved scenes farewell! One parting sigh for thee dear Rhine! Whose sylvan shores impart a spell To chain this ling'ring heart of mine, Which happy mid thy hills to roam Ne'er sighs to find a fairer home! Amid thy dales, thy vine-clad hills! The forest shade, or smiling mead, Thy frowning rocks, thy murm'ring rills! Where — nature's charms the soul may lead O'er scenes to love and friendships true In hearts attached to [man]1 — and you! Tho' fate decree some distant strand To stay my steps lov'd [friends]2 from thee, Can aught efface thy classic land Or bid my mind so faithless be, As e'er forget thy charms so rare, Thy sons of mirth, thy daughters fair! Old age may whiten o'er my head, There mental darkness reign supreme, This ear to friendship's call be dead, Ere I forget thee lovely stream, For graven on this heart of mine Are all thy beauties lovely Rhine!
Confirmed with Poems by Charles V. Incledon, Vienna, Published and sold (for the author) by Ignatius Klang, 1842, pages 27-28.
Note for stanza 2, line 4, word 1: the poetic edition has a typo here ("Were" instead of "Where").
1 Kossmaly: "her"2 Kossmaly: "scenes"
Text Authorship:
- by Charles Benjamin Incledon (1763 - 1826), "Farewell to the Rhine", appears in Miscellaneous Poems [author's text checked 1 time 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 Kossmaly (1812 - 1893), "Farewell to the Rhine" [ voice and piano ], from 3 Gesänge von Ch. Incledon für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte = Three Songs written by Charles V. Incledon, no. 2, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Carl Kossmaly.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2026-07-31
Line count: 24
Word count: 162
Leb wohl, du Land! O teurer Rhein, mein Seufzer weint dir Lebewohl, mein Auge küsset Berg und Hain und ruft durch Tränen Lebewohl! Dein Zauber fesselt hier mein Herz, kost Sehnsucht in den Abschiedsschmerz. Im Tal auf Hügeln weinbekränzt in Wald und Fels auf bunter Flur die Freundschaft, Liebe uns durchlenzt, hier treibt sie Blüten, o Natur! Dich preiset hier der Menschheit Lied, das herrlich wie dein Eden blüht. Den Wand'rer rufet das Geschick von hier zum weit entfernten Strand, doch ewig denkt er dort zurück an dich, du paradiesisch Land, an deine Töchter, reizgeschmückt, an deine Söhne, lustbeglückt. Wohl bleicht das Alter einst dies Haupt, vor meinem Geiste wird es trüb, dem Ohre wird das Wort geraubt, das Freundschaft sendet, treue Lieb'; doch ewig immer denk' ich dein, du paradiesisch schöner Rhein!
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Charles Benjamin Incledon (1763 - 1826), "Farewell to the Rhine", appears in Miscellaneous Poems
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 Kossmaly (1812 - 1893), "Abschied vom Rhein" [ voice and piano ], from 3 Gesänge von Ch. Incledon für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte = Three Songs written by Charles V. Incledon, no. 2, also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2026-07-31
Line count: 24
Word count: 133