The clouds go sailing

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by Fritz Brentano (1840 - 1914)

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall

Es segeln die Wolken

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Es segeln die Wolken,
Weiß niemand wohin;
Die Lüfte, sie rauschen,
[Wer sagt mir wohin?]¹

Sie wandern zusammen,
Sie kommen und flieh'n,
Mag Keiner mir künden,
Wohin wohl, wohin?

So zieh' ich ins Leben
Mit fröhlichem Sinn,
Doch frage mich niemand,
Wohin wohl, wohin?

Noch duften die Blüten,
[Noch lacht mir]² das Grün,
Glückauf zu dem Wandern,
Weiß selbst nicht wohin.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• H. Wolf

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Die Deutsche Schaubühne, neunter Jahrgang, ed. by Martin Perels, Leipzig: Oskar Leiner, 1868, page 40. Appears in Lieder eines fahrenden Comödianten, von Fritz Brentano, no. 2.

¹ Wolf: "Wohin wohl, wohin?"
² Wolf: "Noch locket"

Text Authorship:

by Fritz Brentano (1840 - 1914), no title [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 Gustav Langer (1830 - 1889), "Frühlingswanderung", published 1877 [ voice and piano ], Mannheim, Sohler & Donecker [sung text not yet checked]
by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Wanderlied (Aus einem alten Liederbuche)", 1877 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Alberto Pedrotti , Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 63

The clouds go sailing

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The clouds go sailing,
No one knows whither;
The winds, they gust,
Who can tell me whither?

They wander together,
They appear and depart,
Can no one explain to me,
Whither, indeed, whither?

I travel thus through life
With a cheerful mind,
And no one yet asks me,
Whither, indeed, whither?

Still the flowers are fragrant,
Still nature laughs with me,
Happy greeting for a hike,
I know not myself whither.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Frühlingswanderung" = "Spring Hike"
"Wanderlied (Aus einem alten Liederbuche)" = "Hiking Song (Out of an old songbook)"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 by Michael P Rosewall, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Fritz Brentano (1840 - 1914), no title
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2023-01-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 71