On a freshly-whittled walking stick

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by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)

Translation © by Shawn Thuris

Fußreise

Language: German (Deutsch)

Available translation(s): CAT ENG ENG FRE FRE ITA

Am frischgeschnittnen Wanderstab,
Wenn ich in der Frühe
So [durch]¹ Wälder ziehe,
Hügel auf und ab:
Dann, wie's Vöglein im Laube
Singet und sich rührt,
Oder wie die goldne Traube
Wonnegeister spürt 
In der ersten Morgensonne:
So fühlt auch mein alter, lieber
Adam Herbst und Frühlingsfieber,
Gottbeherzte,
Nie verscherzte
Erstlings-Paradiseswonne.

Also bist du nicht so schlimm, o alter
Adam, wie die strengen Lehrer sagen;
Liebst und lobst du immer doch,
Singst und preisest immer noch,
Wie an ewig neuen Schöpfungstagen,
Deinen lieben Schöpfer und Erhalter.

Möcht' es dieser geben 
Und mein ganzes Leben
Wär' im leichten Wanderschweiße
Eine solche Morgenreise!

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Eduard Mörike, Gedichte, Dramatisches, Erzählendes, Zweite, erweiterte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachf., 1961, page 44.

¹ Killmayer: "durch die"

Authorship:

by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Fußreise" [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 Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Fußreise", 2005, published 2014 [ tenor and piano ], from Mörike-Lieder für Tenor und Klavier, no. 14, note: added to the cycle in 2005. Mainz, London, Berlin, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Tokyo, Toronto: Schott Music [sung text checked 1 time]
by Vic Nees (b. 1936), "Fußreise", published 2003 [ soprano, SATB chorus ], from Zwei Chorlieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Fußreise", from Mörike-Lieder, no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Passejada a peu", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Paul Hindemith) , "Journey on foot", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Shawn Thuris) , no title, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Promenade à pied", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Randonnée pédestre", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Passeggiata", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 100

On a freshly‑whittled walking stick

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

On a freshly-whittled walking stick,
When I go out early
Through the woods,
Up and down the hills,
Then, as the bird in a bower
Sings and bestirs itself,
Or as the golden grape
Senses blissful spirits
In the sun's first rays,
So the dear old Adam in me
Feels Spring- and Autumn-fever,
Made stout of heart by God,
Never forfeited -
The bliss of the first ones in Paradise.

Well, you are not so bad, old
Adam, as the rigid teachers say;
Still you always love and praise,
Always sing and glorify -
As if on ever-new Creation days -
Your beloved Maker and Sustainer.

Would that this be given me,
And my whole life
Could pass in the light sweat
Of such a morning journey!

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Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Shawn Thuris, (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 Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Fußreise"

This text was added to the website: 2021-06-18
Line count: 24
Word count: 127