by Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827)
Translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
Ich hört' ein Bächlein rauschen
Language: German (Deutsch)
[Ich hört' ein Bächlein]1 rauschen Wohl aus dem Felsenquell, Hinab zum [Tale]2 rauschen So frisch [und]3 wunderhell. Ich weiß nicht, wie mir wurde, Nicht, wer den Rath mir gab, Ich mußte [gleich]4 hinunter Mit meinem Wanderstab. Hinunter und immer weiter, Und immer dem Bache nach, Und immer [frischer]5 rauschte, Und immer heller der Bach. Ist das denn meine Straße? O Bächlein, [sprich]6, wohin? Du hast mit deinem Rauschen Mir ganz berauscht den Sinn. Was sag ich denn [von]7 Rauschen? Das kann kein Rauschen sein: [Es singen wohl die Nixen]8 [Dort]9 unten ihren Reihn. Laß singen, [Gesell]10, laß rauschen, Und wandre fröhlich nach! Es gehn ja Mühlenräder In jedem klaren Bach.
L. Berger sets stanzas 1-2, 4-6
J. Lang sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten. Herausgegeben von Wilhelm Müller. Erstes Bändchen. Zweite Auflage. Deßau 1826. Bei Christian Georg Ackermann, pages 8-9; and with Sieben und siebzig Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten. Herausgegeben von Wilhelm Müller. Dessau, 1821. Bei Christian Georg Ackermann, pages 9-10.
First published in a slightly different version with the title Der Bach in Gaben der Milde. Viertes Bändchen. Mit Beiträgen von [...]. Für die Bücher-Verloosung "zum Vortheil hülfloser Krieger" herausgegeben von F. W. Gubitz. Berlin, 1818, page 215.
1 Lang: "Ein Bächlein hört' ich"2 Berger: "Tal es"
3 Berger: "so"
4 Müller (1821 edition), Berger, Schubert: "auch"
5 Müller (1821 edition), and Schubert: "heller"
6 Berger: "sag'"
7 Schubert: "vom"
8 Berger: "Ob wohl die Nixen singen"
9 Berger: "Da"; Müller (1821 edition), Schubert: "Tief"
10 Berger: "G'sell"
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827), "Wohin?", appears in Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten 1, in Die schöne Müllerin, no. 3, first published 1818 [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) Ludwig (Heinrich) Berger (1777 - 1839), "Des Müllers Wanderlied", op. 11 no. 1, published 1818, stanzas 1-2,4-6, from Gesänge aus einem gesellschaftlichen Liederspiele "Die schöne Müllerin", no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Sopran Camillo Engel (1864 - 1902), "Wohin", op. 7 (Neun Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 7, published 1895 [ voice and piano ], Budapest, Rózsavölgyi & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl August Heymann-Rheineck (1854 - 1922), "Erinnerung", op. 2 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 4, published 1882 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Der Bach", stanza 1 [ voice and piano ], unpublished, undated, incomplete [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Wohin?", op. 25 no. 2, D 795 no. 2 (1823), from Die schöne Müllerin, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by A. F. Wustrow , "Ich hört' ein Bächlein rauschen ", op. 15 (9 Gesänge) no. 4, published 1835 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Westphal [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882) , "Whither?", appears in Voices of the Night, first published 1839 ; composed by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, W. H. Bentley, John Blockley, A. H. Cox, Charles John Hargitt, Karl Pomeroy Harrington, John Liptrot Hatton, H. R. Howard, Edward James Loder, Edward Oswald Schaaf, Arthur Octavius Smith, Ogle Wintle.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cap on?", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Waarheen?", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Where to?", copyright ©
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Mihin ?", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Vers où ?", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) (Athanasios Papaisiou) , "Προς τα πού", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , "Cá raghair?", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Verso dove?", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- KOR Korean (한국어/조선말) [singable] (곽명규 Myung-Kew Kwack) , "어디로?", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- POR Portuguese (Português) (Caê Vieira) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 122
I heard a brooklet gushing
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
I heard a brooklet gushing From its rocky fountains near Down into the valley rushing So fresh and wondrous clear. I know not what came o'er me, Nor who the counsel gave; But I must hasten downward All with my pilgrim stave. Downward and ever farther And ever the brook beside; And ever fresher murmured, And ever clearer the tide. Is this the way I was going? Whither, O brooklet, say! Thou hast with thy soft murmur, Murmured my senses away. What say I of a murmur That can no murmur be? 'Tis the water nymphs that are singing, Their roundelays under me. Let them sing, my friend, Let them murmur, And wander merrily near; The wheels of a mill are turning In ev'ry brooklet clear.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), "Whither?", appears in Voices of the Night, first published 1839 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827), "Wohin?", appears in Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten 1, in Die schöne Müllerin, no. 3, first published 1818
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "Whither?" [sung text not yet checked]
- by W. H. Bentley , "Whither?", op. 2 (Six songs) no. 2 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Blockley (1800 - 1882), "Whither?" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. H. Cox , "Whither?" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles John Hargitt (1833 - 1918), "Whither?" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Pomeroy Harrington (b. 1861), "Whither?", published 1883 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Liptrot Hatton (1809 - 1886), "Whither?" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by H. R. Howard , "Whither?" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward James Loder (1813 - 1865), "I heard a brooklet gushing" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Oswald Schaaf (1869 - 1939), "Whither?", op. 3, published 1902 [ voice, piano ], from German and English Poems in Song, volume 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Octavius Smith , "The Brooklet" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ogle Wintle , "Whither?" [ voice, piano ], from Six Songs [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-10
Line count: 25
Word count: 126