The grenadiers | Two grenadiers were returning to France

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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)

Translation © by Walter Meyer

Nach Frankreich zogen zwei Grenadier'

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG ITA NOR POR SPA SPA

Nach Frankreich zogen zwei Grenadier',
Die waren in Rußland gefangen.
Und als sie kamen ins deutsche Quartier, 
Sie ließen die Köpfe hangen.

Da hörten sie beide die traurige Mär:
Daß Frankreich verloren gegangen,
Besiegt und geschlagen das tapfere Heer
Und der Kaiser, der Kaiser gefangen.

Da weinten [zusammen die]¹ Grenadier
Wohl ob [der]² kläglichen Kunde.
Der eine sprach: »Wie weh wird mir,
Wie brennt meine alte Wunde!«

Der andre sprach: »Das Lied ist aus,
Auch ich möcht mit dir sterben,
Doch hab ich Weib und Kind zu Haus,
Die ohne mich verderben.«

»Was scheert mich Weib, [was scheert mich]³ Kind,
Ich trage weit [bess'res]⁴ Verlangen;
Laß sie betteln gehn, wenn sie hungrig sind -
Mein Kaiser, mein Kaiser gefangen!

Gewähr mir, Bruder, eine Bitt':
Wenn ich jetzt sterben werde,
[So nimm]⁵ meine Leiche nach Frankreich mit,
Begrab' mich in Frankreichs Erde.

Das Ehrenkreuz am roten Band
Sollst du aufs Herz mir legen;
Die Flinte gib mir in die Hand,
Und gürt' mir um den Degen.

So will ich liegen und horchen still,
Wie [eine Schildwach]⁶, im Grabe,
Bis [einst ich]⁷ höre Kanonengebrüll,
Und wiehernder Rosse Getrabe.

Dann reitet [mein]⁸ Kaiser wohl über mein Grab,
Viel Schwerter klirren und blitzen;
Dann steig ich gewaffnet hervor aus dem Grab -
Den Kaiser, den Kaiser zu schützen!«

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• C. Gollmick • K. Reissiger • R. Schumann

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View original text (without footnotes)

Notes: in modern orthography, "scheert" is "schert". In some editions of the Heine poem, stanza 2, line 3, word 5 is "große" instead of "tapfere"

¹ Gollmick: "die beiden"
² Gollmick: "dieser"
³ Gollmick: "und"
⁴ Schumann: "besser"
⁵ Gollmick: "Nimm"
⁶ Gollmick: "ein' Schildwacht"
⁷ Gollmick: "ich einst"
⁸ Gollmick: "der"

Text Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Die Grenadiere", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Romanzen, no. 6 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Walther Brand (b. 1811), "Die Grenadiere", from 6 Gesänge von Tieck, Göthe u. Heinrich Heine [sung text not yet checked]
by Julius Freudenthal (1805 - 1874), "Die Grenadiere", op. 35 (Drei Balladen) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Carl Gollmick (1796 - 1866), "Die beiden Grenadiere", op. 60 [ vocal duet for bass and baritone with piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Wilhelm Heiser (1816 - 1897), "Die Grenadiere", op. 18, published 1850 [ bass or baritone and piano ], Berlin, Challier und Co. [sung text not yet checked]
by Heinrich Lemcke (1812 - ?), "Die beiden Grenadiere", op. 12 (Zwei Gesänge) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Leopold Lenz (1803 - 1862), "Die Grenadiere", op. 18 (Zwei Romanzen von Heinrich Heine) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by E. Link , "Die Grenadiere", published 1848, Stuttg., Zumsteeg (in Comm.) [sung text not yet checked]
by Ladislao (László) de Makray , "Die Grenadiere", from Lieder, no. 33 [sung text not yet checked]
by P. F. C. Matthiessen , "Die beiden Grenadiere", from Lieder, Heft I: Zwei Lieder fülr Baß, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Natalie Quiteria, Vicomtesse de Santa , "Die beiden Grenadier", op. 32 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme und Pianofortebegleitung) no. 4, published 1884 [ baritone and piano ], Baden-Baden, Sommermeyer [sung text not yet checked]
by Karl Gottlieb Reissiger (1798 - 1859), "Die Grenadiere", op. 95 (Lieder und Balladen) no. 1, published 1834 [ bass or baritone and piano ], Dresden, Paul. Confirmed with a concert programme booklet. [sung text checked 1 time]
by Friedrich Schneeberger (1843 - 1906), "Die Grenadiere", op. 100, published 1895 [ bass and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Die beiden Grenadiere", op. 49 (Romanzen und Balladen für Singstimme und Klavier (Heft 2)) no. 1 (1840), published 1844 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Whistling [sung text checked 1 time]
by Friedrich Hieronymus Truhn (1811 - 1886), "Die beiden Grenadiere", op. 43, published 1848 [ low tenor and piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in French (Français), a translation by François-Adolphe Loeve-Veimar ; composed by Richard Wagner.
- Go to the text.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

FRE French (Français) [singable] (E. J. Gravollet)
RUS Russian (Русский) (Mikhail Larionovich Mikhailov) , no title

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 212

The grenadiers

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Two grenadiers were returning to France,
From Russian captivity they came.
And as they crossed into German lands
They hung their heads in shame.

Both heard there the tale that they dreaded most,
That France had been conquered in war;
Defeated and shattered, that once proud host, --
And the Emperor, a free man no more.

The grenadiers both started to weep
At hearing so sad a review.
The first said, "My pain is too deep;
My old wound is burning anew!"

The other said, "The song is done;
Like you, I'd not stay alive;
But at home I have wife and son,
Who without me would not survive."

What matters son? What matters wife?
By nobler needs I set store;
Let them go beg to sustain their life!
My Emperor, a free man no more!

Promise me, brother, one request:
If at this time I should die,
Take my corpse to France for its final rest;
In France's dear earth let me lie.

The Cross of Valor, on its red band,
Over my heart you shall lay;
My musket place into my hand;
And my sword at my side display.

So shall I lie and hark in the ground,
A guardwatch, silently staying
Till once more I hear the cannon's pound
And the hoofbeats of horses neighing.

Then my Emperor'll be passing right over my grave;
Each clashing sword, a flashing reflector.
And I, fully armed, will rise up from that grave,
The Emperor's, the Emperor's protector!"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 1995 by Walter Meyer, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Die Grenadiere", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Romanzen, no. 6
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 247

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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.