Bächlein [am Wiesenrand]1
Rinnst du noch immer?
Blumen im Heimathland
Gebt ihr noch Schimmer?
Halme der [Heimathkluft]2
Mögt ihr noch rauschen?
Lerche der [Heimatluft]3
Könnt' ich Dir lauschen!
  Duftige [Jugendzeit]4,
  O wie so weit!

  Fließt noch durch Blumen bunt 
Silberne [Kühle;]5
Rauscht noch im Lindengrund
Klappernde [Mühle;]6
Fenster aus Laubgewind
Leuchtet noch munter, 
Aber das schönste Kind 
Schaut nicht herunter --
  Liebe der Jugendzeit,
  O wie so weit!

  Glück vorbei, Duft verweht, 
Liebe vergangen!
Durch meine Seele geht 
Leises Verlangen. 
Dürft' ich doch einmal nur, 
Einmal Dich schauen --
Heimathwald, Heimathflur, 
[Liebste]7 der Frauen!
  Aber wie Ewigkeit 
  [Bist Du mir weit. --]8

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Julius Rodenberg, Lieder und Gedichte, Berlin: Verlag von Gebrüder Paetel, 1880, pages 96-97.

¹ Decker: "im Wiesengrund"
² Marschner: "Heimatluft"
³ Decker: "Heimatkluft"
⁴ Decker: "Blumenzeit"
⁵ Marschner: "Kühle?"
⁶ Marschner: "Mühle?"
⁷ Decker: "Schönste"
⁸ Marschner: "Bist du mir weit; o wie so weit."

Text Authorship:

• by Julius Rodenberg (1831 - 1914), "So weit!", appears in Lieder und Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in 2. Über die Berge [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 Pauline von Decker (1811 - 1882), "So weit", op. 16 (Drei Lieder) no. 3, published 1875 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Albert Hermann Dietrich (1829 - 1908), "So weit", op. 17 (Sechs Lieder von Jul. von Rodenberg) no. 1 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Max Filke , "Bächlein im Wiesengrund", op. 43 (Drei Männerchöre) no. 2, published 1895 [ men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Rob. Forberg [sung text not yet checked]
• by Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "O wie so weit", op. 173 (Sechs Lieder von J. v. Rodenberg, für Bariton (oder Alt)) no. 3, published 1856 [ baritone or alto and piano ], Offenbach, André [sung text checked 2 times]
• by Franz Preitz (1856 - 1916), "So weit", op. 3 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kahnt  [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Albert Maria) Robert Radecke (1830 - 1911), "So weit!", published 1873 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Braunschweig, Litolff [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Schotte (1864 - 1917), "So weit", op. 12 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1888 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Uhse [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Sitt (1850 - 1922), "So weit", op. 3 (Fünf Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1871 [ voice and piano ], Königsberg, Jakubowsky (published without the opus number, which was assigned later) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Oskar Zehrfeld (b. 1854), "So weit", op. 14 (Fünf Lieder für Männerchor) no. 5, published 1887 [ men's chorus ], Dresden, Näumann [sung text not yet checked]

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

• ENG English (John H. Campbell) , "O how far", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist)

Research team for this page: John H. Campbell , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 30
Word count: 110

  Brooklet by meadowside,
Flow'st thou still lightly?
Flowers of fatherland,
Bloom ye still brightly?
Grass on my native heath,
Art freshly springing?
Lark of my native air, 
Art thou still singing?
  Dreams of my youthful day
  So far away, o gone so soon!

  Flow'st still through flow'ry mead
Silvery fountain?
Mill, is thy busy hum 
Heard o'er the mountain?
Window in wreath of green,
Still art thou gleaming,
But then no more are seen
Eyes brightly beaming.
  Loves of my youthful day,
  So far away.

  Gone is joy, like a breath
Love has departed;
Yet from my eye a tear
Slowly has started
Oh, could I once again
See ye so blooming;
Native woods, native plain,
Dearest of women!
  Ah! but as yonder star
  Art thou so far.