You are my rest | You are my rest

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by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866)

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Du bist die Ruh

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT DUT ENG ENG FRE FRI HEB IRI ITA POR SPA

Du bist die Ruh,
Der Friede mild,
Die Sehnsucht du,
Und was sie stillt.

Ich weihe dir
[Voll]¹ Lust und Schmerz
Zur Wohnung [hier]²
Mein Aug' und Herz.

Kehr' [ein bei mir]³,
Und schließe du
Still hinter dir
Die [Pforten]⁴ zu.

Treib andern Schmerz
Aus dieser Brust.
Voll sey dies Herz
[Von]⁵ deiner Lust.

Dies Augenzelt
Von deinem Glanz
Allein erhellt,
O füll' es ganz.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• F. Curschmann • C. Hohfeld • S. Karg-Elert • J. Rufinatscha

F. Curschmann sets stanzas 1-4
P. Nørgård sets stanzas 1-2 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Oestliche Rosen von Friedrich Rückert. Drei Lesen. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus. 1822, pages 125-126; and with Gesammelte Gedichte von Friedrich Rückert. Vierter Band. Erlangen, Verlag von Carl Heyder. 1837, pages 107-108.

Note: The poem was first published 1822 in Rückert's Oestliche Rosen where all the poems have no titles. In subsequent editions (Erlangen, 1837: Gesammelte Gedichte, Frankfurt a. M., 1868: Gesammelte Poetische Werke) this poem got the title Kehr' ein bei mir!

¹ Karg-Elert: "In"
² Hohfeld: "dir" (typo?)
³ Curschmann: "bei mir ein"
⁴ Rufinatscha: "Pforte"
⁵ Curschmann: "Voll"

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Kehr' ein bei mir!", appears in Östliche Rosen, in 1. Erste Lese, first published 1822 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Du bist die Ruh", 2010 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by John Böie (1822 - 1900), "O fühl' es ganz", op. 11 (Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1848 [ voice and piano ], Hamburg, Schuberth und Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by (Karl) Friedrich Curschmann (1805 - 1841), "Ruhe der Liebe", op. 16 (Lieder) no. 3 (1837), stanzas 1-4 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981), "Du bist die Ruh", op. 54 (6 Lieder für Alt, obligate Violine und Klavier) no. 4 (1927) [ alto, violin obbligato, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Oscar Fretzdorff , "Du bist die Ruh', der Friede mild", published 1895 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 3, Berlin, Weinholtz [sung text not yet checked]
by Moritz Hauptmann (1792 - 1868), "Du bist die Ruh'", op. 26 (Sechs Lieder von F. Rückert) no. 3, published 1840 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Peters [sung text not yet checked]
by Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Du bist die Ruh", op. 7 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Carl Hohfeld (flourished 1884-1895), "Du bist die Ruh'", published 1884 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder und Gesänge, no. 4, Mainz: Kittlitz-Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
by Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877 - 1933), "Kehr' ein bei mir", op. 54 no. 2 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Carl Kossmaly (1812 - 1893), "Du bist die Ruh'", op. 6 (Sechs Lieder für 4 Männerstimmen) no. 6, published 1843 [ vocal quartet for male voices ], Leipzig, Hofmeister [sung text not yet checked]
by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Kehr' ein bei mir!", op. 77 (Drei Lieder von Fr. Rückert) no. 2, published 1844 [ voice and piano ], Rudolstadt, Müller [sung text not yet checked]
by Leopold Lenz (1803 - 1862), "Du bist die Ruh", op. 36 no. 11, published 1844 [ alto or baritone and piano with optional cello ], from 12 Gedichte von Fr. Rückert für eine Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung und obliggato Violoncell (auch mit Pianofortebegleitung allein), no. 11, München, Falter [sung text not yet checked]
by Carl Lührss (1824 - 1882), "Du bist die Ruh'", op. 6 (6 Lieder) no. 1, published 1843 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
by Ludwig Siegfried Meinardus (1827 - 1896), "Du bist die Ruh", op. 8 no. 7, published 1853 [ voice and piano ], from Liebesfrühling. Liederkranz von F. Rückert, no. 7, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "Du bist die Ruh", op. 284 no. 1 (2018) [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder nach Friedrich Rückert, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Per Nørgård (b. 1932), "Du bist die Ruh", B140 no. 2c (1972-1975), copyright © 1980 [ chorus and orchestra ], from symphony Symfoni nr.3, no. 2c, Copenhagen [etc.] : Hansen [sung text not yet checked]
by Rudolf Radecke (1829 - 1893), "Kehr' ein bei mir", op. 12 no. 3, from Zum Myrtenkranz, 4 Lieder, no. 3, Berlin, Challier [sung text not yet checked]
by August Wilhelm Julius Rietz (1812 - 1877), "Du bist die Ruh", op. 27 (7 Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1849 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
by Johann Rufinatscha (1812 - 1893), "Kehr ein bei mir!", op. 1 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Hans Michael Schletterer (1824 - 1893), "Kehr' ein bei mir", op. 10 (6 Lieder für Sopran ) no. 2, published 1864 [ soprano and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Du bist die Ruh", op. 59 (Vier Lieder) no. 3, D 776 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Adam Taylor (b. 1981), "Du bist die Ruh", op. 28 no. 2 (2003) [ SSAA chorus a cappella ], from Four Songs of Calm, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937), "Du bist die Ruh", published 1885 [ voice and piano ], London: Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co., also set in English [sung text not yet checked]

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

by Per Nørgård (b. 1932), "Singe die Garten" [ chorus and instrumental ensemble ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in English, a translation by David Evan Thomas (b. 1958) , copyright © 1998 by David Evan Thomas, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [an adaptation] ; composed by David Evan Thomas.
Also set in English, a translation by Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937) , "Thou art my rest" ; composed by Maude Valérie White.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Jij bent de rust", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Lynn Thompson) , "You are peace, the mild peace", copyright © 1997, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "Thou art repose", first published 193-?
ENG English [singable] (Walter A. Aue) , "You are my rest", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "You are my rest", written 2010, copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Tu es le repos", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRI Frisian (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Tu sei la pace", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
POR Portuguese (Português) (Alexandre Trovon) , "Tu és o repouso", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Lourdes Leon) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Melanie Trumbull , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 20
Word count: 71

You are my rest

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You are my rest,
And gentle peace,
Your are yearning
As yearnings cease.

I treasure you
Though joy, through pain;
I bide by you
Till days all wane.

Turn unto me
And lock away
The world without
And yesterday.

Drive daily grief
From this, my breast!
My heart is buoyed
And by you blessed.

Embrace me then
With eyes, with heart
To lighten life
By your dear art!

A paraphrase.

Text Authorship:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "You are my rest", written 2010, copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Kehr' ein bei mir!", appears in Östliche Rosen, in 1. Erste Lese, first published 1822
- Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

[ None yet in the database ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-12-29
Line count: 20
Word count: 68