The solitary one | In the solitude of the forest

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by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Einsame

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

In des Waldes Einsamkeit
Flieh' ich gern zu Baum und Kraut
Tief hinein, wo weit und breit
Mich kein Menschenauge schaut. 

Gehet auch ein Reh zum Born,
Kann mich das bekümmern nicht,
Sticht mich einer Rose Dorn,
Mir kein Mensch doch Dornen flicht.

Glücklich [hat mich's] nie gemacht,
Daß auf Menschen ich gehofft,
Frieden doch hat mir gebracht
Eine stille Blume oft.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• R. Leberl

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Justinus Kerners sämtliche poetische Werke in vier Bänden, herausgegeben von Dr. Josef Gaismaier, 1. Band, Leipzig: Max Hesses Verlag, 1880, page 216.

¹ Leberl: "hats mich"

Text Authorship:

by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Der Einsame", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte, first published 1840 [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 Rudolf Leberl (1884 - 1952), "Der Einsame", op. 22 (Zehn Lieder zur Gitarre nach Gedichten von Justinus Kerner) no. 3 (1923), published 2006 [ voice and guitar ], Frankfurt am Main: Laurentius-Musikverlag [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The solitary one", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2021-09-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 62

The solitary one

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

In the solitude of the forest
I gladly flee to tree and herb
Far into the forest, where far and wide
No human eye espies me.

Even if a deer goes to the water-spring,
That cannot vex me,
If I am pricked by the thorn of a rose,
No person weaves [a wreath] of thorns for me.

It has never made me happy
To have placed my hope in people,
Yet I have often been granted peace
By a silent flower.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Der Einsame", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte, first published 1840
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2021-09-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 81