The stormy morning
(Poet's title: Der stürmische Morgen)
Set by Schubert:
D 911/18
[October 1827]
Part of Winterreise, D 911
Wie hat der Sturm zerrissen
Des Himmels graues Kleid,
Die Wolkenfetzen flattern
Umher im mattem Streit.
Und rote Feuerflammen
Ziehn zwischen ihnen hin,
Das nenn ich einen Morgen
So recht nach meinem Sinn.
Mein Herz sieht an dem Himmel
Gemahlt sein eignes Bild,
Es ist nichts als der Winter,
Der Winter kalt und wild.
How the storm has ripped
The grey clothing of the sky!
The tattered clouds are flapping
Around in a weary struggle.
And red flames of fire
Are moving amongst them.
That is what I call a morning
Exactly in accord with my mood!
My heart looks at the sky
And sees its own image painted there –
It is nothing other then winter,
Winter cold and savage!
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:
Clothes Clouds Fire Grey Hearts Heaven, the sky Journeys Morning and morning songs Pictures and paintings Red and purple Storms Thunder and lightning Winter
Grey and red is a very dramatic colour combination; an elegant grey dress with a bright red scarf can make a stunning impression. However, elegance usually needs a calm environment in order to work its cool magic. That is not the situation this morning. In the midst of a raging storm the traveller looks up at the sky’s clothing and watches it being torn to shreds by the wind. Rags flutter and flap around, interspersed with red streaks. Awesome, terrifying, beautiful: his emotions swirl in response.
The fiery flashes of red are probably connected with sunrise rather than lightning (thunderstorms are rare in winter and early in the morning). It is therefore just around dawn and the ragged grey clouds will be a very dark grey indeed. Yet the traveller is awake and fully active. He feels that the weather is joining in with his own mood and the state of his soul: both detached and turbulent, cold and savage at the same time.
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Thunderstorms are not common in Europe in winter: https://www.severe-weather.eu/theory/european-thunderstorm-climatology-friuli-region-in-north-italy-is-the-hot-spot/
Thunderstorms are unusual in the morning: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2998781/Lightning-powerful-8am-morning-storms-occur-afternoon.html
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Original Spelling Der stürmische Morgen Wie hat der Sturm zerrissen Des Himmels graues Kleid! Die Wolkenfetzen flattern Umher im mattem Streit. Und rothe Feuerflammen Ziehn zwischen ihnen hin. Das nenn' ich einen Morgen So recht nach meinem Sinn! Mein Herz sieht an dem Himmel Gemahlt sein eignes Bild - Es ist nichts als der Winter, Der Winter kalt und wild!
Confirmed by Peter Rastl with Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten. Herausgegeben von Wilhelm Müller. Zweites Bändchen. Deßau 1824. Bei Christian Georg Ackermann, page 95; and with Deutsche Blätter für Poesie, Litteratur, Kunst und Theater. Herausgegeben von Karl Schall und Karl von Holtei. Breslau 1823, bei Graß, Barth und Comp. No. XLI. 13. März 1823, page 162.
First published in Deutsche Blätter (see above) as no. 5 of the installment of Die Winterreise. Lieder von Wilhelm Müller.
To see an early edition of the text, go to page 95 Erstes Bild 109 here: https://download.digitale-sammlungen.de/BOOKS/download.pl?id=bsb10115225