Ich weiß eine alte Kunde,
Die hallet dumpf und trüb:
Ein Ritter liegt liebeswunde,
Doch treulos ist sein Lieb.

Als treulos muß er verachten
Die eigne Herzliebste sein,
Als schimpflich muß er betrachten
Die eigne Liebespein.

Er möcht in die Schranken reiten
Und rufen die Ritter zum Streit:
"Der mag sich zum [Kampfe]1 bereiten,
Wer mein Lieb eines Makels zeiht!"

Da würden wohl alle schweigen,
Nur nicht sein eigener Schmerz;
Da müßt er die Lanze neigen
[Wider 's]2 eigne [klagende]3 Herz.

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¹ Backer-Grøndahl: "Kampf"
² Backer-Grøndahl: "wieder's"
³ Backer-Grøndahl: "klagendes" (likely a typo)

Authorship:

• by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Der wunde Ritter", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Romanzen, no. 13 [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 Albert Felix, Graf Amadei (1851 - 1894), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 2 (2 Balladen für eine Alt- oder Baritonstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1873 [ alto or baritone and piano ], Wien, Gotthard [sung text not yet checked]
• by Agathe Ursula Backer-Grøndahl (1847 - 1907), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 4 (Syv Sange af J. Goethe, H. Heine, E. Geibel) no. 5 (1874), published 1875 [ voice and piano ], Kjöbenhavn: Wilhelm Hansens Forlag og Eiendom, also set in Danish (Dansk) [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Gerrit Jan van Eijken (1832 - 1879), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Otto Frickhoeffer (1892 - 1968), "Der wunde Ritter" [ voice and piano ], from Lieder, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gustav Heinrich Graben-Hoffmann (1820 - 1900), "Der liebeswunde Ritter", op. 18, published 1853 [ baritone and piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen [sung text not yet checked]
• by Marie Hinrichs (1828 - 1891), "Eine alte Kunde", op. 1 (Neun Gesänge) no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Philipp Jarnach (1892 - 1982), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 15 no. 4 [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Gesänge, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Sven August Körling (1842 - 1919), "Der wunde Ritter" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 33, Heft 1 no. 5, from Sängerfahrt : sechzehn Lieder nach Gedichten von Heinrich Heine, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by August Lindner (1820 - 1878), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 30 no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Franz Mair (1821 - 1893), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 14 no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alberto Nepomuceno (1864 - 1920), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 20 no. 1 (1893) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Victor Ernst Nessler (1841 - 1890), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 37 (Drei Balladen für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1871 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Forberg [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alfred Reisenauer (1863 - 1907), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 13 (Balladen und Romanzen) no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by C. H. Schmidt , "Der wunde Ritter" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Jules de Swert (1843 - 1891), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 23 no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Paul Widemann , "Der wunde Ritter", op. 2 no. 1, published 1878 [ tenor and piano ], from In Majas Zauber : Drei Gedichte, no. 1, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gotthard Wöhler (1818 - 1888), "Der wunde Ritter", op. 1 (Drei Balladen von Heine) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in Danish (Dansk), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Agathe Ursula Backer-Grøndahl.
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• Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Wilhelm Aleksandrovich Sorgenfrei (1882 - 1938) ; composed by Edison Vasilyevich Denisov, G. A. Goldenberg.
  • Go to the text.
    

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

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chevalier blessé", copyright © 2010, (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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 81

Et gammelt Sagn os möder,
Og trist, som sorten Nat:
En Ridder af Elskov blöder
Bedraget af sin Skat.

Som trolös maa han foragte
Den Kvinde, han vandt saa kjær,
Som Skjædsel maa han betragte
Den Sorg, han for hende bær.

Han önsker i Skranken at ride,
At æske Ridderne ud:
"Hver den maa en Tvekamp stride,
Som pletfri ei ser min Brud!"

Han Taushed vel kan afnöde,
Men ei sin Kummers Röst;
Da maa han först Landsen stöde
I sit eget klagende Bryst.