Das zerbrochene Ringlein

1813 poem by Joseph von Eichendorff

Das zerbrochene Ringlein
by Joseph von Eichendorff

First published in	1813 (1813)
Language	German
Subject(s)	unhappy love
Rhyme scheme	a–b–a–b
Publisher	Justinus Kerner
Lines	20

"Das zerbrochene Ringlein" (The broken little ring) is a poem by Joseph von Eichendorff, published under the title "Lied" (lay, or song) in 1813 by Justinus Kerner et al. in the almanac Deutscher Dichterwald (German Poets' Forest) under the pseudonym "Florens".^[1] The poem appears under Eichendorff's name in his first novel Ahnung und Gegenwart [de], written in 1812 and published in 1815.^[2] It is also known by its first line, "In einem kühlen Grunde" (In a cool valley).

Friedrich Glück [de] set Eichendorf's poem to music under the title "Untreue" (Infidelity).^[3] Friedrich Silcher wrote a 4-part arrangement for male choir^[4] which became popular through its publication in Volksliederbuch für Männerchor [de] (1906).^[5]

The song has been recorded by many artists.^[6]

Text

"Das zerbrochene Ringlein"
In einem kühlen Grunde
Da geht ein Mühlenrad
Mein' Liebste ist verschwunden,
Die dort gewohnet hat.

Sie hat mir Treu versprochen,
Gab mir ein'n Ring dabei,
Sie hat die Treu" gebrochen,
Mein Ringlein sprang entzwei.

Ich möcht' als Spielmann reisen
Weit in die Welt hinaus,
Und singen meine Weisen,
Und geh'n von Haus zu Haus.

Ich möcht' als Reiter fliegen
Wohl in die blut'ge Schlacht,
Um stille Feuer liegen
Im Feld bei dunkler Nacht.

Hör' ich das Mühlrad gehen,
Ich weiß nicht, was ich will,
Ich möcht' am liebsten sterben,
Da wär's auf einmal still!

"The Broken Ring"
Within a watered valley
A mill turns night and day;
And there my love was dwelling
Before she went away.

A little ring she gave me,
A pledge to bind her heart;
But since her troth she’s broken,
My ring has come apart.

I fain would go as minstrel
And wander far away,
And earn my bread by singing
My songs from day to day.

I fain would mount a charger
And glory seek in fight,
By silent camp-fires lying,
When falls the dark of night.

For when I hear the mill-wheel,
I know not what I will,
I fain would die, then surely
It would at last be still!^[7]

Melody

The song as published by Friedrich Glück.^[3]

$\header { tagline = ##f % no footer title = "Untreue" composer = "Friedrich Glück" poet = "Joseph von Eichendorff" } \layout { indent = 0\mm \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" } } global = { \key a \major \time 6/8 \partial 8 \tempo "Andantino" } sopranoVoice = \relative c'' { \global \dynamicUp e,8 | cis'4 cis8 cis [(b)] \noBeam cis | d4 (b8) gis4 e8 | a4 a8 \grace b (a) [(gis)] \noBeam a | \stemUp \grace cis (b4.) r4 \stemNeutral b8 | b4 b8 b [(cis)] \noBeam d | e4. (e8) \noBeam fis, \noBeam b | a4 a8 \grace cis (b) [(a)] \noBeam b \grace bis (cis4.) r4 cis8 cis [(b)] \noBeam b b [(cis)] d | e4. (e8) \noBeam fis, \noBeam d' | cis4 cis8 \grace cis (b) (a) \noBeam b | a4. r4. \bar "|." } verse = \lyricmode { In ein -- nem küh -- len Gru -- de, da geht ein Müh -- len -- rad, mein Lieb -- chen ist ver -- schwun -- den, das dort ge -- woh -- net hat, mein Lieb -- chen ist ver -- schwun -- den, das dort ge -- woh -- net hat. } right = \relative c' { \global r8 | cis8 e a cis, e a | d, e gis d e gis | cis, e a cis, fis a | e gis b e, gis b | e, gis b e, gis b | e, a cis d, fis b | cis, e a d, e gis | cis, e a cis, e a | e gis b e, gis b | e, a cis d, fis b | cis, e a d, e gis | <cis, e a>4. r4. } left = \relative c { \global r8 | a4. cis | b e | a fis | e (e) | d d | cis d | e e | a a, | e' d | cis d | e e | a, r } sopranoVoicePart = \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "flute" } { \sopranoVoice } \addlyrics { \verse } pianoPart = \new PianoStaff << \new Staff = "right" \with { midiInstrument = "acoustic grand" midiMaximumVolume = #0.8 } \right \new Staff = "left" \with { midiInstrument = "acoustic grand" midiMaximumVolume = #0.6 } { \clef bass \left } >> \score { << \sopranoVoicePart \pianoPart >> \layout { } \midi { \tempo 4=66 } }$

References

^ Joseph von Eichendorff: "Lied", Deutscher Dichterwald, J. F. Heerbrandt'sche Buchhandlung, Tübingen 1813 (in German), p. 227.
^ Joseph von Eichendorff: Ahnung und Gegenwart. Schrag, Nürnberg 1815, pp. 356–357 – via Deutsches Textarchiv [de]
^ ^a ^b Friedrich Glück (c. 1828). Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte (in German). Munich: Makarius Falter [de]. p. 10 – via Munich Digitization Center.
^ "Untreue" (Glück), from Volkslieder gesammelt und für vier Männerstimmen gesetzt: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
^ "491. Untreue". Volksliederbuch für Männerchor (in German). Vol. 2. 1906. p. 448 – via Internet Archive.
^ Covers of "In einem kühlen Grunde", cover.info
^ Robert Marcellus Browning, ed. (1984). "The Broken Ring". German Poetry from 1750 to 1900. The German Library, vol. 39. Translated by Geoffrey Herbert Chase. New York: Continuum. pp. 146–147. ISBN 9780826402820.