- Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
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- This article is about the poem by Goethe. For other uses, see Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt (disambiguation).
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Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt ("Only he who knows what yearning is") is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The poem appeared in Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship. It is one of the songs of Mignon, a character in the novel.
The poem has been set to music by many composers[1], among them Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Hugo Wolf and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (via its translation into Russian by Lev Mei). Tchaikovsky's setting is often known in English as "None but the Lonely Heart" and has been set in many vocal, choral, and instrumental arrangements.
Goethe's German original:
- Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
- Weiß, was ich leide!
- Allein und abgetrennt
- Von aller Freude,
- Seh ich ans Firmament
- Nach jener Seite.
- Ach! der mich liebt und kennt,
- Ist in der Weite.
- Es schwindelt mir, es brennt
- Mein Eingeweide.
- Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
- Weiß, was ich leide!
An accurate English translation:
- Only one who knows longing
- Understands what I suffer!
- Alone and separated
- From all joy,
- I look to the heavens
- Towards the other side.
- Oh! the one who loves and knows me,
- Is far away.
- I feel dizzy, and it burns
- my insides.
- Only one who knows longing
- Understands what I suffer!
References
- ^ Further information on musical settings to this text is found on The Lied and Art Song Text Page
Works by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Poems Der Erlkönig · Ganymed · Gingo biloba · Heidenröslein · Hermann and Dorothea · Der König in Thule · Marienbad Elegy · Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt · Prometheus · Roman Elegies · The Sorcerer's Apprentice · West-östlicher DiwanPlays Clavigo · Faust · Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy · Faust: The Second Part of the Tragedy · Egmont · Erwin und Elmire · Goetz von Berlichingen · Iphigenia in Tauris · The Natural Daughter · Torquato TassoProse Autobiographical works Journals Natural sciences Conversations Bibliography This article related to a poem is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. -