I wish I were the wife of the storm | I wish I were the wife of the storm

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by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Ich wollt' ich wär' des Sturmes Weib

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Ich wollt', ich wär' des Sturmes Weib,
Es sollte mir nicht grausen,
Auf Felsenhöhen wohnt' ich dann,
Dort, wo die Adler hausen.

Die Sonne wäre mir Gespiel,
Die Winde meine Knappen,
Mit dem Gemahl führ' ich dahin
Auf flüchtigen Wolkenrappen.

Frei würd' ich sein und stolz und groß,
Die Königin der Ferne,
Tief unter mir die dumpfe Welt
Und über mir die Sterne!

Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Gedichte, Neunte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1900, page 71.

Text Authorship:

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Ich wollt', ich wär' des Sturmes Weib", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Vermischte Gedichte, no. 3 [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 Luise Greger (1862 - 1944), "Ich wollt' ich wär' des Sturmes Weib", published 1900 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 4, Berlin, Sulzer Nachf. [sung text checked 1 time]
by Walter Rabl (1873 - 1940), "Ich wollt', ich wär des Sturmes Weib", op. 13 no. 4 [ soprano and orchestra or piano ], from Sturmlieder. Gedichte von Anna Ritter, no. 4, Leipzig: D. Rahter, n.d. [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "I wish I were the wife of the storm", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Je voudrais être le femme de la tempête", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-01-16
Line count: 12
Word count: 63

I wish I were the wife of the storm

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I wish I were the wife of the storm;
I would not feel any horror,
Upon the heights of the rocky cliffs
I would then dwell, there, where the eagles dwell.

The sun would be my playfellow,
The winds my squires,
With my spouse I would then ride 
Along upon fleet black cloud-steeds.

Free would I be and proud and great,
The queen of the distant expanses,
Far down below me the dull world
And above me the stars!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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 Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Ich wollt', ich wär' des Sturmes Weib", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Vermischte Gedichte, no. 3
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2019-06-24
Line count: 12
Word count: 79