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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

Ich war in ferner Fremde Kind
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Eine singt:
Ich war in ferner Fremde Kind,
bis ich mich: arm und zart und blind -
aus meinem Schämen schlich;
ich warte hinter Wald und Wind
gewiss schon lang auf mich.

Ich bin allein und weit vom Haus
und sinne still: wie seh ich aus? -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fragt jemand, wer ich sei?
      ... Gott, ich bin jung und
                  ich bin blond
      und habe ein Gebet gekonnt
und geh gewiss umsonst umsonnt
und fremd an mir vorbei...

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Ich war in ferner Fremde Kind", written 1898 [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 Eduard Bornschein (1883 - 1945), "Ein Mädchen singt", 1926 [ voice and piano ], from 10 Gesänge nach Gedichten von R. M. Rilke, no. 10, Mainz : Schott [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Peter Escher (1915 - 2008), "Ich war in ferner Fremde Kind", 1953 [ women's chorus ], from Lieder der Mädchen, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Egon Joseph Wellesz (1885 - 1974), "Ich war in ferner Fremde Kind", op. 7 no. 1 (1912) [ voice and orchestra or piano ], from Lieder der Mädchen, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2022-08-25
Line count: 15
Word count: 73

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