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Wandern lieb' ich für mein Leben, Lebe eben wie ich kann, Wollt' ich mir auch Mühe geben, Paßt' es mir doch gar nicht an. Schöne alte Lieder weiß ich, In der Kälte, ohne Schuh' Draußen in die Saiten reiß' ich, Weiß nicht, wo ich abends ruh'. Manche Schöne macht wohl Augen, Meinet, ich gefiel' ihr sehr, Wenn ich nur was wollte [taugen]1, So ein armer Lump nicht wär'. -- Mag dir Gott ein'n Mann bescheren, Wohl mit Haus und Hof versehn! Wenn wir zwei zusammen wären, Möcht mein Singen mir vergehn.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Joseph von Eichendorff, Sämtliche Gedichte und Versepen, Frankfurt am Main und Leipzig: Insel Verlag, 2001, pages 262-263.
1 Kiel: "fangen"Text Authorship:
- by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), no title, appears in Gedichte, in 1. Wanderlieder, in Der wandernde Musikant, no. 1 [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 (Leopold) Heinrich (Picot de Peccaduc), Freiherr von Herzogenberg (1843 - 1900), "Wandern lieb' ich für mein Leben ", op. 66 no. 1, published 1890 [ high voice and piano ], from Der Musikant. Liederreihe von Eichendorff, für 1 hohe Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Friedrich Kiel (1821 - 1885), "Der Musikant", op. 31, Heft 2 no. 11, published 1874 [ voice and piano ], from Liederkreis. Zwölf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 11, Berlin : Bote & Bock; reprinted in 1997 by Verlag Dohr, Köln. [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Der wandernde Musikant", 1995, first performed 1997 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], from ...was dem Herzen kaum bewußt... : Acht Chorlieder für Männerchor a cappella, no. 8, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Victor August Loser , "Der Musikant", op. 8 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1899 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Fritzsch [sung text not yet checked]
- by Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling (1904 - 1985), "Wandern lieb' ich für mein Leben", 1944 [ baritone and piano ], from Der wandernde Musikant. Lieder nach Gedichten von Eichendorff, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josef Teutscher , "Wandern lieb' ich für mein Leben", op. 52 ([Vier] Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Münster, Tormann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Wetz (1875 - 1935), "Der Musikant", op. 45 (Vier Lieder für hohe Stimme mit Klavierbegleitung) no. 4 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig: Fr. Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Der Musikant", 1886-8 [ voice and piano ], from Eichendorff-Lieder, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El músic de carrer", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "I love the wandering life", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le musicien ambulant", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Il musicante", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: 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: 92
I love the wandering life: I live how I can. If I were to trouble myself about anything, it would not suit me at all. I know lovely old songs; in the cold, without shoes, I pluck my strings out there and do not know where I'll sleep in the evening! Many a lovely girl makes eyes at me, as if to say she would like me well if I only made something of myself and were not such a poor beggar. May God provide you with a husband, and a house and yard! If we two were together, my singing would die.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet ArchiveFor any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), no title, appears in Gedichte, in 1. Wanderlieder, in Der wandernde Musikant, no. 1
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 104