Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Es geht bei gedämpfter Trommel Klang; Wie weit noch die Stätte! der Weg wie lang! O wär' er zur Ruh und alles vorbei! Ich glaub', es bricht mir das Herz entzwei! Ich hab' in der Welt nur ihn geliebt, Nur ihn, dem jetzt man den Tod doch gibt. Bei klingendem Spiele wird paradiert; Dazu bin auch ich kommandiert. Nun schaut er auf zum letzten Mal In Gottes Sonne [freudigen]1 Strahl, -- Nun binden sie ihm die Augen zu -- Dir schenke Gott die ewige Ruh'. Es haben [die]2 Neun wohl angelegt, Acht Kugeln haben vorbei gefegt; Sie [zitterten]3 Alle vor Jammer und Schmerz -- Ich aber, ich traf ihn mitten [in's]4 Herz.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Adelbert von Chamisso, Dritte Auflage, Stuttgart, Ch. Hausmann'sche Antiquariats-Buchhandlung, 1835, page 156. Note: in this edition, "paradiert" is spelled "paradirt" and "kommandiert" is spelled "kommandirt".
1 Marschner: "freud'gen"2 Schumann: "dann"
3 Furtwängler: "zittern" (? could need double-checking)
4 Schumann: "in das"
Authorship:
- by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Der Soldat", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Nach dem Dänischen von Andersen, no. 3 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Danish (Dansk) by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875), "Soldaten", written 1830, appears in Digte
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Wenzel Theodor Bradsky (1833 - 1881), "Der Soldat", op. 38, published 1871 [ low voice and piano ], Berlin, Challier & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Mitten ins Herzen", op. 52 (Sechs Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2 (1884), published 1884 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich (1803 - 1836), "Der Soldat", op. 13 (Lieder im Volkston für vier Männerstimmen) no. 16 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], Berlin: Bethge [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886 - 1954), "Der Soldat ", 1899 [ voice and piano ], unpublished ; manuscripts are in the Zurich Central Library  [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns (1809 - 1888), "Der Soldat", op. 13 (Fünf Gesänge) no. 5, published 1834 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Der Soldat", op. 137 no. 1 [ voice and piano ], Stuttgart, Karl Göpel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Der Soldat", op. 40 (Fünf Lieder für Singstimme und Klavier) no. 3 (1840), published 1842 [ voice and piano ], Copenhagen, Lose  [sung text checked 1 time]
- by (Philipp) Friedrich Silcher (1789 - 1860), "Der Soldat" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Speyer (1790 - 1878), "Der Soldat", published 1840? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard Tauwitz (1812 - 1894), "Der Soldat", op. 18 (Vier Lieder für Bass oder Alt mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1846 [ bass or alto and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Peter) Nicolai von Wilm (1834 - 1911), "Der Soldat", op. 96 (Drei Lieder für 1 mittlere Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1891 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, O. Forberg [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De soldaat", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "He walks to the sound of a muffled drum", copyright ©
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 109
He walks to the sound of a muffled drum; how far the place! - how long the way! O if only he were at rest and everything past already! I think it will break my heart in two! I loved only him in the world - only him, whom they are now putting to death! To the band they parade; for this task I am also ordered. Now he gazes for the last time up at the joyous sunbeams of God's sun; now they blindfold his eyes - may God grant you eternal peace! The nine then took aim: eight bullets shot wide. They trembled, all full of misery and pain - but I - I shot him right through the heart.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Der Soldat", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Nach dem Dänischen von Andersen, no. 3
Based on:
- a text in Danish (Dansk) by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875), "Soldaten", written 1830, appears in Digte
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 123