Im Winde, im Sturme befahr' ich den Fluß,
Die Kleider durchweichet der Regen im Guß;
Ich [lenke - ich peitsche]1 mit mächtigem Schlag
[Die Wellen]2, erhoffend mir heiteren Tag.

Die [Fluthen]3, sie jagen das [schwankende]4 Schiff,
Es drohet der Strudel, es drohet der Riff,
Gesteine entkollern den felsigen Höh'n,
Und [Fichten, sie sausen]5 wie Geistergestöh'n.

So mußte es kommen - ich hab es gewollt,
Ich hasse ein Leben behaglich entrollt;
Und schlängen die [Fluthen]3 den [dröhnenden]6 Kahn,
Ich priese doch immer die eigene Bahn.

[Es]7 tose des Wassers ohnmächtiger Zorn,
Dem Herzen entquillet ein seliger Born,
Die Nerven erfrischend - o himmliche Lust!
Dem Sturme [gebiethen]8 mit männlicher Brust.

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View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 106; and with Beyträge zur Bildung für Jünglinge. Zweites Bändchen. Wien, 1818. In der Franz Härter'schen Buchhandlung, page 325 (here with the title Der Schiffer).

Note: Schubert received Mayrhofer's texts generally in handwriting; the printed edition of Mayrhofer's poems appeared much later and presents the texts usually in a revised version.

¹ Schubert: "Ich peitsche die Wellen"
² Schubert: "Erhoffend"
³ Schubert: "Wellen"
⁴ Schubert: "ächzende"
⁵ Schubert: "Tannen erseufzen"
⁶ Schubert: "ächzenden"
⁷ Schubert: "Drum"
⁸ Schubert: "zu trotzen"

Authorship

• by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Schiffer", first published 1818 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Schiffer", op. 21 (Drei Lieder) no. 2, D 536 (1817?), published 1823 [ voice and piano ], Sauer und Leidesdorf, VN 276, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El barquer", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De schipper", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The boatman", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le marin", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il barcaiolo", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 109

I flutti percorro fra le tempeste e i venti,
gli abiti zuppi per gli scrosci insistenti;
con gesto potente le onde colpendo
in giorni migliori sperando, sperando.
 
Incalzano le onde la fragile barca,
di gorghi e di scogli è continua minaccia.
Precipitano massi dalla cima dei monti,
sospirano gli abeti come spettri gementi.
 
Ma tutto questo me lo sono cercato,
la vita tranquilla ho sempre aborrito;
se pure lo scafo fosse dall'onda travolto
esalterei sempre la strada che ho scelto.
 
Ruggiscano le acque di rabbia impotente,
in cuore, beata, mi zampilla una fonte,
e i nervi ristora -- o celestiale piacere, 
con cuore virile la tempesta affrontare!