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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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by Klaus Groth (1819 - 1899)
Translation © by Lau Kanen

O wüßt ich doch den Weg zurück
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
O wüßt ich doch den Weg zurück,
Den lieben Weg zum Kinderland!
O warum sucht' ich nach dem Glück
Und ließ der Mutter Hand?

O wie mich sehnet auszuruhn,
Von keinem Streben aufgeweckt,
Die müden Augen zuzutun,
Von Liebe sanft bedeckt!

Und nichts zu forschen, nichts zu spähn,
Und nur zu träumen leicht und lind;
Der Zeiten Wandel nicht zu sehn,
Zum zweiten Mal ein Kind!

O zeig mir doch den Weg zurück,
Den lieben Weg zum Kinderland!
Vergebens such ich nach dem Glück,
Ringsum ist öder Strand!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Klaus Groth (1819 - 1899), "Heimweh II", appears in Hundert Blätter, Paralipomena zum Quickborn, Hamburg, first published 1854 [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 Carl Banck (1809 - 1889), "Zum Kinderland", op. 83 no. 1, published 1886 [ medium voice and piano ], from Herbstklänge. Acht Gesänge für 1 mittlere Stimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 1, Dresden, Hoffarth [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Heimweh II", op. 63 (Neun Lieder und Gesänge) no. 8 (1874), published 1875 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Peters [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Alfred Rittershaus (1863 - 1929), "O wüsst' ich doch den Weg zurück", published 1892 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 3, Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Gustav Gottfried Weiss (1820 - 1897), "O wüsst' ich doch den Weg zurück", op. 15 (Fünf Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1860 [ voice and piano ], Breslau, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Heimwee II", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright © 2019
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Mal du pays II", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Nostalgia II", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 88

Heimwee II
Language: Dutch (Nederlands)  after the German (Deutsch) 
O, wist ik toch de weg terug,
De lieve weg naar 't kinderland!
O, waarom zocht ik naar 't geluk,
Liet los mijn moeders hand?
 
O, hoe verlang 'k naar diepe rust,
Door geen begeren meer gewekt,
Mijn ogen dicht in lome lust,
Met liefde zacht bedekt!
 
En niets te zoeken, alles kwijt,
Alleen te dromen, licht als wind,
Blind voor het wijken van de tijd,
Opnieuw een heel klein kind!
 
O, toon mij toch de weg terug,
De lieve weg naar 't kinderland!
Vergeefs nog zoek ik naar 't geluk,
Rondom is troostloos strand!

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2011 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.

    Lau Kanen.  Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com


    If the copyright-holder(s) are unreachable for three business days, please write to: licenses@email.lieder.example.net


Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Klaus Groth (1819 - 1899), "Heimweh II", appears in Hundert Blätter, Paralipomena zum Quickborn, Hamburg, first published 1854
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2011-08-06
Line count: 16
Word count: 95

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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