Es treibt mich hin, es treibt mich her!
Noch wenige Stunden, dann soll ich sie schauen,
sie selber, die schönste der schönen Jungfrauen; -
du [treues]1 Herz, was pochst du so schwer!

Die Stunden sind aber ein faules Volk!
Schleppen [sich]2 behaglich träge,
schleichen gähnend ihre Wege; -
tummle dich, du faules Volk!

Tobende Eile mich treibend erfaßt!
Aber wohl niemals liebten die Horen; -
heimlich [im]3 grausamen Bunde verschworen,
spotten sie tückisch der Liebenden Hast.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Buch der Lieder von Heinrich Heine, 27. Aufl., Hamburg, 1868.

¹ Schumann: "armes"
² Franz: "sich hin"
³ Franz: "zum"

Text Authorship:

• by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Lieder, no. 2 [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 Gerard Bunk (1888 - 1958), "Es treibt mich hin, es treibt mich her!", op. 24 (Acht Lieder nach Texten von Heinrich Heine) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Leslie Crabtree (b. 1941), "Es treibt mich hin, es treibt mich her!", from Liederkreis, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Richard Farber (b. 1945), "Es treibt mich hin, es treibt mich her " [ voice and piano ], from Buch der Lieder - Junge Leiden - Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Es treibt mich hin, es treibt mich her", op. 34 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4 (1861?), published 1861 [ voice and piano ], Breslau, Leuckart [sung text checked 1 time]
• by August Reuss (1871 - 1935), "Ungeduld", published 1899 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 3, München, Schmid Nachf. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Es treibt mich hin", op. 24 no. 2 (1840), published 1840 [ voice and piano ], from Liederkreis von Heinrich Heine, no. 2, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Hilarius Freiherr von Siegroth (1832 - ?), "Es treibt mich hin, es treibt mich her", op. 18, Heft 1 no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Wilhelm Stehle , "Es treibt mich hin, es treibt mich her", published 1877 [ high voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder für 1 hohe Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 3, Stuttgart, Ebner [sung text not yet checked]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

• by Richard Farber (b. 1945), "Buch der Lieder - Junge Leiden", 2014 [ voice and piano ]
  • View the full text. [sung text not yet checked]
    

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Ik loop naar hier, ik loop naar daar", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "I'm driven here, I'm driven there", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Mi sento agitato, spinto di qua, di là!", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 76

 I'm driven here, I'm driven there!
 In only a few more hours I will see her,
 she herself, the fairest of fair young women; -
 you true heart, how heavily you pound!
 
 But the hours are lazy people!
 They drag themselves comfortably and sluggishly,
 creeping with yawns along their paths; -
 rouse yourself, you lazy fool!
 
 A charging hurry seizes and drives me!
 But the Hours have never been in love;
 sworn secretly to cruel conspiracy,
 they mock treacherously the lover's haste.