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Ist einmal ein Bursch in die weite Welt Gegangen, gegangen, Die Vöglein, die saßen am Weg auf dem Busch Und sangen und sangen. So grün war der Wald und der Himmel so blau, So golden die Sonne, so blumig die Au, Das thät ihm nicht übel behagen. Der Bursch ist gewandert so weit, so weit, Voll Hoffen, voll Hoffen, Und wo er am Wege ein anderes Herz Getroffen, getroffen, Da bat er: O zeig' mir den Weg zum Glück! Und wiesen ihn Alle auch spottend zurück, Er ward doch nicht müde, zu fragen. Er ward doch nicht müd', an das Glück, das Glück Zu glauben, zu glauben, Konnt Keiner den seligen Wandermuth Ihm rauben, ihm rauben, Und wurden die Schritte auch schwer und matt, Er schleppte sich weiter von Stadt zu Stadt, Hört' Keiner ihn murren und klagen. Die Vögel, die haben den ganzen Tag Gesungen, gesungen, Ihm ist's in die Ohren wie Glockengeläut Geklungen, geklungen. Am Rain an der Straße, da schlummert er ein, Da haben ihn weinende Engelein Den Weg zum Glück getragen.
Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Gedichte, Einundzwanzigste Auflage, Stuttgart und Berlin: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1905, pages 120-121.
Text Authorship:
- by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Der Weg zum Glück", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Vermischte Gedichte, no. 31 [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 Eduard Levy (1862 - 1921), "Der Weg zum Glück", op. 38 no. 2 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: A. Stahl [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich Kaspar Schmid (1874 - 1953), "Der Weg zum Glück", op. 4 (Drei Lieder im Volkston) no. 3, published 1904 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], Mannheim: K. F. Heckel [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The way to happiness", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chemin vers le bonheur", copyright © 2019, (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: 2011-09-03
Line count: 28
Word count: 175
Once a lad into the world Did go, did go, The birdlets, they sat along the path upon the bush And sang and sang. The forest was so green and the sky so blue, The sun so golden, the meadow so full of flowers, He found that suited him quite well. The lad did wander so far, so far, Full of hope, full of hope, And whenever along the way another heart He met, he met, There he pleaded: Oh show me the way to happiness! And though they all scornfully rebuffed him, He did not grow weary of asking. He did not grow weary of believing, believing In happiness, in happiness, Of the blissful spirit of wandering no one Could rob him, could rob him, And though his steps became heavy and exhausted, He dragged himself onward from town to town; No one heard him grumble and complain. The birds, the whole day long they Sang, sang, Into his ears like the tolling of bells It sounded, it sounded. Along the acclivity beside the road he fell into slumber, Thereupon weeping angels Carried him along the way to happiness.
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), "Der Weg zum Glück", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Vermischte Gedichte, no. 31
This text was added to the website: 2019-11-21
Line count: 28
Word count: 190