Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
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.
If you wish to reprint translations, please use the Reprint Basket (upper right hand corner).
Reminder: You must always use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Froh kehrt der Schiffer heim an den stillen [Strom]1
Von fernen Inseln, wo er geerntet hat;
Wohl [möcht' auch ich]2 zur Heimat wieder;
Aber was hab' ich, wie Leid, geerntet? -
Ihr holden Ufer, die ihr mich auferzogt,
[Stillt ihr der Liebe Leiden? ach!]3 gebt ihr mir,
Ihr Wälder meiner Kindheit, wann ich
[Komme]4, die Ruhe noch Einmal wieder?
Confirmed with Friedrich Hölderlin Sämtliche Gedichte und Hyperion, Frankfurt am Main und Leipzig: Insel Verlag, 1999, page 200
Note (provided by Sharon Krebs): Hölderlin published two versions of this poem - this one with two stanzas and a longer one with six stanzas. Only the first two lines are the same.
1 Eisler: "Strome"2 Eisler: "möchte ich gern"
3 Eisler: "Ach!"
4 Eisler: "wiederkehre".
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Die Heimat" [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Die Heimat", op. 61 no. 2, published 1963, from Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Die Heimat", 1943, from Hölderlin Fragmente, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Die Heimat", from Hollywooder Liederbuch, no. 40 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Josef Matthias Hauer (1883 - 1959), "Die Heimat", op. 12 (Drei Lieder) no. 3 (1915) [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Terra natal", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Home", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Le pays natal", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 63
The boatman turns homeward on the mute river from distant islands, where he has been gathering his harvest; gladly would I also turn toward home now; but what have I gathered except sorrow? You lovely banks that brought me up, can you still love's grief? ah, can you give me, when I come to you woods of my childhood, can you give me that peace once again?
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet ArchiveFor any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Die Heimat"
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 68