Farewell
(Poet's title: Abschied)
Set by Schubert:
D 578
[August 24, 1817]
Lebe wohl! du lieber Freund!
Ziehe hin in fernes Land,
Nimm der Freundschaft trautes Band
Und bewahr’s in treuer Hand!
Lebe wohl! du lieber Freund!
Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund!
Hör’ in diesem Trauersang
Meines Herzens innern Drang,
Tönt er doch so dumpf und bang.
Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund!
Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund!
Scheiden heißt das bittre Wort,
Weh, es ruft dich von uns fort
Hin an den Bestimmungsort.
Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund!
Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund!
Wenn dies Lied dein Herz ergreift,
Freundes Schatten näher schweift,
Meiner Seele Saiten streift.
Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund!
Farewell, you dear friend!
Be on your way to that distant land,
Take the intimate bond of friendship –
And keep hold of it in your faithful hand!
Farewell, you dear friend!
Farewell, you dear friend!
In this mournful song listen to
My heart’s inner drive,
However muffled and anxious it sounds.
Farewell, you dear friend!
Farewell, you dear friend!
Separation is such a bitter word,
Oh, it is calling you away from us
Off to the specified place.
Farewell, you dear friend!
Farewell, you dear friend!
If this song has touched your heart,
Your friend’s shade will hover closer to you,
It will strike the strings of my soul.
Farewell, you dear friend!
All translations into English that appear on this website, unless otherwise stated, are by Malcolm Wren. You are free to use them on condition that you acknowledge Malcolm Wren as the translator and schubertsong.uk as the source. Unless otherwise stated, the comments and essays that appear after the texts and translations are by Malcolm Wren and are © Copyright.
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Themes and images in this text:
Farewell and leave taking Friends Hands Hearts Knots and bonds Laments, elegies and mourning Near and far Shade and shadows Songs for special occasions Soul
This song has the subtitle ‘In das Stammbuch eines Freundes’ (In a friend’s family album). The friend in question was Franz von Schober, who was about to leave Vienna to collect his brother, who had fallen seriously ill on his way back from France (in the event Axel, the brother, died before Franz von Schober arrived).
Schubert’s words show how seriously he took his relationship with Schober (in whose house he had been living for a few months). He is concerned that their bond remain strong (even though some critics were later to complain that they were always too close, and that Schober was not a good influence on the composer). Schubert expresses the hope that his mournful song will touch Schober’s heart, in which case he promises to haunt him wherever he goes, a situation which, he says, will tug at his own heart-strings (or, rather, ‘soul’ strings). This is all slightly clunky and clear evidence that Schubert, despite his poetic sensitivity, was more adept at setting words to music than at writing them.
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Original Spelling Abschied Lebe wohl! du lieber Freund! Ziehe hin in fernes Land, Nimm der Freundschaft trautes Band - Und bewahr's in treuer Hand! Lebe wohl! du lieber Freund! Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund! Hör' in diesem Trauersang Meines Herzens innern Drang, Tönt er doch so dumpf und bang. Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund! Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund! Scheiden heißt das bitt're Wort, Weh, es ruft dich von uns fort Hin an den Bestimmungsort. Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund! Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund! Wenn dieß Lied dein Herz ergreift, Freundes Schatten näher schweift, Meiner Seele Saiten streift. Lebe wohl, du lieber Freund!
Confirmed by Peter Rastl with Franz Schubert’s autograph (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris); and with Franz Schubert. Die Dokumente seines Lebens. Herausgegeben von Otto Erich Deutsch. Erste Hälfte. München und Leipzig 1914 bei Georg Müller, page 41.