Text & Translation
Wanderlied der Prager Studenten
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Die Vöglein allzumal,
Viel Wandrer lustig schwenken
Die Hüt' im Morgenstrahl.
Das sind die Herr'n Studenten,
Zum Tor hinaus es geht;
Auf ihren Instrumenten
Sie blasen zum Valet:
"Ade in die Läng' und Breite,
O Prag, wir ziehn in die Weite!
Et habeat bonam pacem,
Qui sedet post fornacem!"
Nachts wir durchs Städtlein schweifen,
Die Fenster schimmern weit.
Am Fenster drehn und schleifen
Viel schön geputzte Leut'.
Wir blasen vor den Türen
Und haben Durst genug,
Das kommt vom Musizieren!
"Herr Wirt, einen frischen trunk! Einen Trunk!"
Und siehe, über ein kleines
Mit einer Kanne Weines
Venit ex sua domo
Beatus ille homo.
Nun weht schon durch die Wälder
Der kalte Boreas,
Wir streichen durch die Felder,
Von Schnee und Regen naß;
Der Mantel fliegt im Winde,
Zerrissen sind die Schuh',
Da blasen wir geschwinde
Und singen noch dazu, noch dazu:
"Beatus ille homo,
Qui sedet in sua domo
Et sedet post fornacem
Et habet bonam pacem.
Wanderer’s Song of the Prague students
English translation ©
Sarah Murer
Are now heading southward,
Many wanderers cheerfully wave
Their hats in the morning light.
Those are the gentlemen students
Who are going out through the gateway;
With their instruments
They blow to the valet:
“Farewell to the far and wide,
Oh Prague, we head into the world!
And may he have good peace,
The one who sits behind the stove!”
At night we wander through the town,
Where the windows gleam from afar.
At the window whirl and glisten
Finely dressed folks.
We play at the doors,
Our thirst is hard to bear,
It comes from making music!
“Hey host, a fresh drink! A drink!”
And look, after a short while
A jug of wine comes
He comes from his house,
That man is blessed.
Now the cold Boreas
Are blowing through the woods,
We roam through the fields,
Wet from snow and rain;
Our cloaks flap in the wind,
Our shoes are torn,
Yet still we play forcefully,
And we sing along with it:
“Blessed is the man
Who sits in his house
And sits by the stove
And has good peace.”
Wanderlied der Prager Studenten
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Wanderer’s Song of the Prague students
English source:
Sarah Murer
Nach Süden nun sich lenken
All the little birds
Die Vöglein allzumal,
Are now heading southward,
Viel Wandrer lustig schwenken
Many wanderers cheerfully wave
Die Hüt' im Morgenstrahl.
Their hats in the morning light.
Das sind die Herr'n Studenten,
Those are the gentlemen students
Zum Tor hinaus es geht;
Who are going out through the gateway;
Auf ihren Instrumenten
With their instruments
Sie blasen zum Valet:
They blow to the valet:
"Ade in die Läng' und Breite,
“Farewell to the far and wide,
O Prag, wir ziehn in die Weite!
Oh Prague, we head into the world!
Et habeat bonam pacem,
And may he have good peace,
Qui sedet post fornacem!"
The one who sits behind the stove!”
Nachts wir durchs Städtlein schweifen,
At night we wander through the town,
Die Fenster schimmern weit.
Where the windows gleam from afar.
Am Fenster drehn und schleifen
At the window whirl and glisten
Viel schön geputzte Leut'.
Finely dressed folks.
Wir blasen vor den Türen
We play at the doors,
Und haben Durst genug,
Our thirst is hard to bear,
Das kommt vom Musizieren!
It comes from making music!
"Herr Wirt, einen frischen trunk! Einen Trunk!"
“Hey host, a fresh drink! A drink!”
Und siehe, über ein kleines
And look, after a short while
Mit einer Kanne Weines
A jug of wine comes
Venit ex sua domo
He comes from his house,
Beatus ille homo.
That man is blessed.
Nun weht schon durch die Wälder
Now the cold Boreas
Der kalte Boreas,
Are blowing through the woods,
Wir streichen durch die Felder,
We roam through the fields,
Von Schnee und Regen naß;
Wet from snow and rain;
Der Mantel fliegt im Winde,
Our cloaks flap in the wind,
Zerrissen sind die Schuh',
Our shoes are torn,
Da blasen wir geschwinde
Yet still we play forcefully,
Und singen noch dazu, noch dazu:
And we sing along with it:
"Beatus ille homo,
“Blessed is the man
Qui sedet in sua domo
Who sits in his house
Et sedet post fornacem
And sits by the stove
Et habet bonam pacem.
And has good peace.”
Composer
Poet
Joseph von Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism. Ever since their publication and up to the present day, some…