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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation by Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887)

Sei mir gegrüßt, du große
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  FRE
Sei mir gegrüßt, du große,
Geheimnisvolle Stadt,
Die einst in ihrem Schoße
Mein Liebchen umschlossen hat.

Sagt an, ihr Türme und Tore,
Wo ist die Liebste mein?
Euch hab ich sie anvertrauet,
Ihr solltet mir Bürge sein.

Unschuldig sind die Türme,
Sie konnten nicht von der Stell,
Als Liebchen mit Koffern und Schachteln
Die Stadt verlassen so schnell.

Die Tore jedoch, die ließen
Mein Liebchen entwischen gar still;
Ein Tor ist immer willig,
Wenn eine Törin will.

About the headline (FAQ)


Text Authorship:

  • by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 17 [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 Arthur Hervey (1855 - 1922), "Sei mir gegrüßt", published 1890, from Neue Liebeslieder, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Arnold Mendelssohn (1855 - 1933), "Sei mir gegrüßt", 1878 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Theodor Podbertsky (1846 - 1913), "Thürme und Thore", op. 64 (Drei Männerchöre) no. 3, published 1895 [ men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Siegel [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803 - 1883), "Tor und Torin", published 1851, from Die Heimkehr : 88 Gedichte aus H. Heine's Reisebildern, no. 17 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-07-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 77

All hail to thee, thou fairest
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
All hail to thee, thou fairest
   And most mysterious town!
That once inclosed my dearest
   Within thy gateways brown. 

Speak out, ye towers and portals!
   My sweetheart, where is she?
I left her in your keeping;
   Ye should my warders be. 

The towers are not guilty,
   For rooted fast were they.
When sweetheart with trunks and luggage,
   So quickly stole away. 

The gates gave willing passage,
   With noiseless bars and locks.
A door will always open,
   When the adorer knocks.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887), appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 17
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-04-18
Line count: 16
Word count: 80

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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