Greeting to my homeland | And though the years have passed

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Gruss an das Vaterland

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

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  Und ob die Jahre schwanden, 
Und sich gebleicht das Haar: 
O Schweiz! ob allen Landen 
Strahlst du noch immerdar! 
  Und treu noch halten Alle 
Zu dir mit Herz und Hand! 
Wie tönt's mit frohem Schalle: 
Grüß Gott! o Vaterland! 

  Und die in allen Gauen
Verschlungen schon das Grab, 
Sie stehen auf und schauen 
Verklärt auf uns hinab. 
  Und die sich fern verzehren
Voll Weh am fremden Strand,
Auf Geistesflügeln kehren
Sie heim in's Vaterland.

  O Land! wie machst die Alten
Du wieder froh und stark! 
Und heißst sich schön entfalten 
Die Jugend bis in's Mark! 
  Ja treu noch halten Alle 
Zu dir mit Herz und Hand! 
Wie tönt's mit frohem Schalle: 
Grüß Gott! o Vaterland!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 297-298.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Gruß an das Vaterland", appears in Liederbuch, in 4. Vaterlandslieder, no. 322 [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 Bernhard Bogler (1821 - 1902), "Gruss an das Vaterland", published 1878 [ men's chorus ], from Acht neue Gesänge für Männerchor, no. 1, St. Gallen: Sonderegger [sung text not yet checked]
by Eugen Karl Petzold (1813 - 1889) [sung text not yet checked]
by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Greeting to my homeland", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-16
Line count: 24
Word count: 116

Greeting to my homeland

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

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  And though the years have passed
And my hair has faded:
Oh Switzerland! above all other lands
You still stand radiant forever!
  And all still loyally keep faith 
With you with hearts and hands!
How it rings out with a joyful sound:
God greet you, oh homeland!

  And those in all the counties
Whom the grave has already swallowed,
They arise and, transfigured,
Look down upon us.
  And those who are consumed 
By woe on a distant shore,
Upon the wings of their spirit
They return to their homeland!

  Oh land! how you make the old
Happy and strong again!
And command youth to unfurl
Beautifully unto their marrow!
  Yes, all still loyally keep faith 
With you with hearts and hands!
How it rings out with a joyful sound:
God greet you, oh homeland!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Gruß an das Vaterland", appears in Liederbuch, in 4. Vaterlandslieder, no. 322
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 135