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Home no more home to me, whither must I wander? Hunger my driver, I go where I must. Cold blows the winter wind over hill and heather: Thick drives the rain and my roof is in the dust. Loved of wise men was the shade of my roof-tree, The true word of welcome was spoken in the door - Dear days of old with the faces in the firelight, Kind folks of old, you come again no more. Home was home then, my dear, full of kindly faces, Home was home then, my dear, happy for the child. Fire and the windows bright glittered on the moorland; Song, tuneful song, built a palace in the wild. Now when day dawns on the brow of the moorland, Lone stands the house, and the chimney-stone is cold. Lone let it stand, now the friends are all departed, The kind hearts, the true hearts, that loved the place of old. Spring shall come, come again, calling up the moorfowl, Spring shall bring the sun and rain, bring the bees and flowers; Red shall the heather bloom over hill and valley, Soft flow the stream through the even-flowing hours. Fair the day shine as it shone on my childhood - Fair shine the day on the house with open door; Birds come and cry there and twitter in the chimney - But I go for ever and come again no more.
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in Scots Observer, January 1889Authorship:
- by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894), no title, appears in Songs of Travel and other verses, no. 16, to the tune of Wandering Willie, first published 1896 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "Home no more home to me", op. 210 (1948) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "Whither must I wander?", 1901, published 1902, rev. 1912?, orchestrated 1962, from Songs of Travel, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "On haig d’anar?", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (David Paley) , "Wohin muss ich wandern?", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Dove mi tocca andare?", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Kur turiu keliauti?", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 237
Heim nicht mehr Heim zu mir, wohin muss ich wandern? Hunger mein Treiber ich geh' hin, wo ich muss. Kalt bliest der Winter-Wind über Berg und Heide; Dicht treibt der Sturm und mein Dach liegt unterm Staub. Wohlgefallen war das Bild meines Hausdachs Das treu' Wort des Grußes gesprochen vor der Tür -- Lieb war der Tag, mit dem Antlitz in dem Feuerschein, Mein Freundeskreis, Ihr kehrt nicht mehr zurück. Heim war Heimat, mein Schatz, Haus den netten Mienen, Heim war Heimat, mein Schatz, fröhlich für das Kind. Herd und die Fenster hell glitztern auf dem Moorland; Lied, melodie war der Palast in dem Wind. Jetzt als der Tag bricht, auf der Stirn übers Moorland, Frei steht das Haus, und der Schornsteinkopf ist kalt. Steh einsam dort jetzt! Die Freunde sind gegangen. Die Netten, die Treuen, sie haben es geliebt. Frühling kommt, wiederkommt. Rufen dann die Vögel; Frühling bringt den Sonnenschein, bringt die Blumen Bienen; Rot wird die Heide blüh'n, über Berg und Täler, Sanft fliess der Bach durch die Stunden immerfort; Klar der Tag schein, wie er auf meiner Kindheit -- Klar schein der Tag, auf dem Haus mit off'ner Tür; Dort schreien Vögel, und zwitschern in dem Schornstein -- Doch ich geh' für immer, und kehre nicht zurück.
Authorship:
- Singable translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2010 by David Paley, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.
David Paley.  Contact: davidpaley (AT) btinternet (DOT) com
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Based on:
- a text in English by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894), no title, appears in Songs of Travel and other verses, no. 16, to the tune of Wandering Willie, first published 1896
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 207