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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation possibly by Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe KG, PC, The Lord Houghton (1858 - 1945)

Verlorener Posten in dem Freiheitskriege
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Verlorener Posten in dem Freiheitskriege,
Hielt ich seit dreißig Jahren treulich aus.
Ich kämpfe ohne Hoffnung, daß ich siege,
Ich wußte, nie komm ich gesund nach Haus.

Ich wachte Tag und Nacht - Ich konnt nicht schlafen,
Wie in dem Lagerzelt der Freunde Schar
(Auch hielt das laute Schnarchen dieser Braven
Mich wach, wenn ich ein bißchen schlummrig war).

In jenen Nächten hat Langweil ergriffen
Mich oft, auch Furcht - (nur Narren fürchten nichts) -
Sie zu verscheuchen, hab ich dann gepfiffen
Die frechen Reime eines Spottgedichts.

Ja, wachsam stand ich, das Gewehr im Arme,
Und nahte irgend ein verdächtger Gauch,
So schoß ich gut und jagt ihm eine warme,
Brühwarme Kugel in den schnöden Bauch.

Mitunter freilich mocht es sich ereignen,
Daß solch ein schlechter Gauch gleichfalls sehr gut
Zu schießen wußte - ach, ich kanns nicht leugnen -
Die Wunden klaffen - es verströmt mein Blut.

Ein Posten ist vakant! - Die Wunden klaffen -
Der Eine fällt, die Andern rücken nach -
Doch fall ich unbesiegt, und meine Waffen
Sind nicht gebrochen - Nur mein Herze brach.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Enfant perdu", appears in Romanzero, in 2. Zweites Buch, in Lazarus, no. 20 [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 Peter Janssens (b. 1934), "Verlor'ner Posten : aus Romanzero - Lamentationen - Lazarus = Enfant Perdu", published 1976, from Heinrich Heine Song Buch, no. 21 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Erich-Walter Sternberg (1891 - 1974), "Verlor'ner Posten in dem Freiheitskriege ", 1928, published 1973 [ baritone and chamber orchestra ], from Halochem ha'amitz = Der brave Soldat = The brave soldier, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Otokar Fischer) , "Enfant perdu"
  • ENG English (Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe KG, PC, The Lord Houghton) , "Enfant perdu", appears in Poems Selected from Heinrich Heine, ed. by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker, London: Walter Scott, Limited, page 240, first published 1887


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-11-07
Line count: 24
Word count: 170

Enfant perdu
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
In Freedom's War, of "Thirty Years" and more,
  A lonely outpost have I held -- in vain!
With no triumphant hope or prize in store,
  Without a thought to see my home again.

I watched both day and night: I could not sleep
  Like my well-tented comrades far behind,
Though near enough to let their snoring keep
  A friend awake, if e'er to dose inclined.

And thus, when solitude my spirits shook,
  Or fear -- for all but fools know fear sometimes, --
To rouse myself and them, I piped and took
  A gay revenge in all my wanton rhymes.

Yes! there I stood, my musket always ready,
  And when some sneaking rascal showed his head,
My eye was vigilant, my aim was steady,
  And gave his brains an extra dose of lead.

But war and justice have far different laws,
  And worthless acts are often done right well;
The rascals' shots were better than their cause,
  And I was hit -- and hit again, and fell!

That outpost is abandoned: while the one
  Lies in the dust, the rest in troops depart;
Unconquered -- I have done what could be done,
  With sword unbroken, and with broken heart.

Note: the poet is given only as "Lord Houghton" in Kroeker's anthology.

Text Authorship:

  • possibly by Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe KG, PC, The Lord Houghton (1858 - 1945), "Enfant perdu", appears in Poems Selected from Heinrich Heine, ed. by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker, London: Walter Scott, Limited, page 240, first published 1887 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Enfant perdu", appears in Romanzero, in 2. Zweites Buch, in Lazarus, no. 20
    • 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 page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2013-01-18
Line count: 24
Word count: 194

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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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