Poetry Codex

German

Heinrich Heine

1797–1856

Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) was born in Düsseldorf to a Jewish family and studied law at Bonn, Berlin and Göttingen, taking his degree in 1825 after converting to Protestant Christianity. His Book of Songs (Buch der Lieder, 1827), with its plain, musical lyrics of love and disappointment, made him one of the most widely read German poets, and many of its poems were set to music by Schumann, Schubert and Mendelssohn.

In 1831 Heine moved to Paris, where he lived for the rest of his life, writing travel pieces, criticism and satirical verse, among them Germany: A Winter's Tale and Atta Troll. His work was banned in several German states. From the mid-1840s he suffered from a progressive paralysis and spent his last years confined to what he called his mattress-grave, producing the Romancero (1851) and the late poems. The translations here are by Edgar Alfred Bowring (1908 edition of the complete poems, in the original metres).

Major Works (2)

  1. Atta Troll — translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring (1908)
  2. Germany: A Winter Tale — translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring (1908)

Poems (614)

  1. Love’s Salutation
  2. Love’s Lament
  3. Yearning
  4. The White Flower
  5. Presentiment
  6. Songs of Love, 6
  7. Songs of Love, 7
  8. Songs of Love, 8
  9. Songs of Love, 9
  10. Songs of Love, 10
  11. Songs of Love, 11
  12. Songs of Love, 12
  13. Songs of Love, 13
  14. Germany, 1815
  15. Dream, 1816
  16. The Consecration
  17. The Moor’s Serenade
  18. Dream and Life
  19. The Lesson
  20. To Francis V. Z----
  21. A Prologue to the Hartz-Journey
  22. Defend Not
  23. A Parody
  24. Walking Flowers at Berlin
  25. Evening Songs, 1
  26. Evening Songs, 2
  27. Evening Songs, 3
  28. Evening Songs, 4
  29. To Augustus William von Schlegel
  30. To the Same
  31. To Councillor George S----, of Göttingen
  32. To J. B. Rousseau
  33. Sonnets, 5
  34. The Night Watch on the Drachenfels. To Fritz von B----
  35. In Fritz Steinmann’s Album
  36. To Her
  37. Goethe’s Monument at Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1821
  38. Dresden Poetry
  39. Breadless Art
  40. Book of Songs: Prologue
  41. Visions, 1
  42. Visions, 2
  43. Visions, 3
  44. Visions, 4
  45. Visions, 5
  46. Visions, 6
  47. Visions, 7
  48. Visions, 8
  49. Visions, 9
  50. Visions, 10
  51. Songs, 1
  52. Songs, 2
  53. Songs, 3
  54. Songs, 4
  55. Songs, 5
  56. Songs, 6
  57. Songs, 7
  58. Songs, 8
  59. Songs, 9
  60. The Mournful One
  61. The Mountain Echo
  62. The Two Brothers
  63. Poor Peter
  64. The Prisoner’s Song
  65. The Grenadiers
  66. The Message
  67. Taking the Bride Home
  68. Don Ramiro
  69. Belshazzar
  70. The Minnesingers
  71. Looking from the Window
  72. The Wounded Knight
  73. The Sea-Voyage
  74. The Song of Repentance
  75. To a Singer (on her singing an old romance)
  76. The Song of the Ducats
  77. Dialogue on Paderborn Heath
  78. Life’s Salutations (from an Album)
  79. Quite True
  80. To A. W. von Schlegel
  81. To My Mother, B. Heine, née von Geldern
  82. To H. S.
  83. Fresco Sonnets, 1
  84. Fresco Sonnets, 2
  85. Fresco Sonnets, 3
  86. Fresco Sonnets, 4
  87. Fresco Sonnets, 5
  88. Fresco Sonnets, 6
  89. Fresco Sonnets, 7
  90. Fresco Sonnets, 8
  91. Fresco Sonnets, 9
  92. Lyrical Intermezzo, Prologue
  93. Lyrical Intermezzo, 1
  94. Lyrical Intermezzo, 2
  95. Lyrical Intermezzo, 3
  96. Lyrical Intermezzo, 4
  97. Lyrical Intermezzo, 5
  98. Lyrical Intermezzo, 6
  99. Lyrical Intermezzo, 7
  100. Lyrical Intermezzo, 8
  101. Lyrical Intermezzo, 9
  102. Lyrical Intermezzo, 10
  103. Lyrical Intermezzo, 11
  104. Lyrical Intermezzo, 12
  105. Lyrical Intermezzo, 13
  106. Lyrical Intermezzo, 14
  107. Lyrical Intermezzo, 15
  108. Lyrical Intermezzo, 16
  109. Lyrical Intermezzo, 17
  110. Lyrical Intermezzo, 18
  111. Lyrical Intermezzo, 19
  112. Lyrical Intermezzo, 20
  113. Lyrical Intermezzo, 21
  114. Lyrical Intermezzo, 22
  115. Lyrical Intermezzo, 23
  116. Lyrical Intermezzo, 24
  117. Lyrical Intermezzo, 25
  118. Lyrical Intermezzo, 26
  119. Lyrical Intermezzo, 27
  120. Lyrical Intermezzo, 28
  121. Lyrical Intermezzo, 29
  122. Lyrical Intermezzo, 30
  123. Lyrical Intermezzo, 31
  124. Lyrical Intermezzo, 32
  125. Lyrical Intermezzo, 33
  126. Lyrical Intermezzo, 34
  127. Lyrical Intermezzo, 35
  128. Lyrical Intermezzo, 36
  129. Lyrical Intermezzo, 37
  130. Lyrical Intermezzo, 38
  131. Lyrical Intermezzo, 39
  132. Lyrical Intermezzo, 40
  133. Lyrical Intermezzo, 41
  134. Lyrical Intermezzo, 42
  135. Lyrical Intermezzo, 43
  136. Lyrical Intermezzo, 44
  137. Lyrical Intermezzo, 45
  138. Lyrical Intermezzo, 46
  139. Lyrical Intermezzo, 47
  140. Lyrical Intermezzo, 48
  141. Lyrical Intermezzo, 49
  142. Lyrical Intermezzo, 50
  143. Lyrical Intermezzo, 51
  144. Lyrical Intermezzo, 52
  145. Lyrical Intermezzo, 53
  146. Lyrical Intermezzo, 54
  147. Lyrical Intermezzo, 55
  148. Lyrical Intermezzo, 56
  149. Lyrical Intermezzo, 57
  150. Lyrical Intermezzo, 58
  151. Lyrical Intermezzo, 59
  152. Lyrical Intermezzo, 60
  153. Lyrical Intermezzo, 61
  154. Lyrical Intermezzo, 62
  155. Lyrical Intermezzo, 63
  156. Lyrical Intermezzo, 64
  157. Lyrical Intermezzo, 65
  158. Lyrical Intermezzo, 66
  159. Lyrical Intermezzo, 67
  160. Lyrical Intermezzo, 68
  161. Lyrical Intermezzo, 69
  162. Lyrical Intermezzo, 70
  163. The Gods’ Twilight
  164. Ratcliff
  165. Donna Clara
  166. Almansor
  167. The Pilgrimage to Kevlaar
  168. The Dream
  169. Seraphina, 1
  170. Seraphina, 2
  171. Seraphina, 3
  172. Seraphina, 4
  173. Seraphina, 5
  174. Seraphina, 6
  175. Seraphina, 7
  176. Seraphina, 8
  177. Seraphina, 9
  178. Seraphina, 10
  179. Seraphina, 11
  180. Seraphina, 12
  181. Seraphina, 13
  182. Seraphina, 14
  183. Seraphina, 15
  184. Angelica, 1
  185. Angelica, 2
  186. Angelica, 3
  187. Angelica, 4
  188. Angelica, 5
  189. Angelica, 6
  190. Angelica, 7
  191. Angelica, 8
  192. Angelica, 9
  193. Angelica, 10
  194. Angelica, 11
  195. Angelica, 12
  196. Diana, 1
  197. Diana, 2
  198. Diana, 3
  199. Hortense, 1
  200. Hortense, 2
  201. Hortense, 3
  202. Hortense, 4
  203. Hortense, 5
  204. Hortense, 6
  205. Clarissa, 1
  206. Clarissa, 2
  207. Clarissa, 3
  208. Clarissa, 4
  209. Clarissa, 5
  210. Clarissa, 6
  211. Clarissa, 7
  212. Clarissa, 8
  213. Clarissa, 9
  214. Clarissa, 10
  215. Clarissa, 11
  216. Yolante and Mary, 1
  217. Yolante and Mary, 2
  218. Yolante and Mary, 3
  219. Yolante and Mary, 4
  220. Yolante and Mary, 5
  221. Emma, 1
  222. Emma, 2
  223. Emma, 3
  224. Emma, 4
  225. Emma, 5
  226. Emma, 6
  227. Frederica, 1
  228. Frederica, 2
  229. Frederica, 3
  230. Catherine, 1
  231. Catherine, 2
  232. Catherine, 3
  233. Catherine, 4
  234. Catherine, 5
  235. Catherine, 6
  236. Catherine, 7
  237. Catherine, 8
  238. Catherine, 9
  239. Songs of Creation, 1
  240. Songs of Creation, 2
  241. Songs of Creation, 3
  242. Songs of Creation, 4
  243. Songs of Creation, 5
  244. Songs of Creation, 6
  245. Songs of Creation, 7
  246. Abroad, 1
  247. Abroad, 2
  248. Abroad, 3
  249. Tragedy, 1
  250. Tragedy, 2
  251. Tragedy, 3
  252. The Tannhäuser
  253. A Woman
  254. Celebration of Spring
  255. Childe Harold
  256. The Exorcism
  257. Extract from a Letter
  258. The Evil Star
  259. Anno 1829
  260. Anno 1839
  261. At Dawn
  262. Sir Olave
  263. The Water Nymphs
  264. Bertrand de Born
  265. Spring
  266. Ali Bey
  267. Psyche
  268. The Unknown One
  269. The Change
  270. Fortune
  271. Lamentation of an Old-German Youth
  272. Away!
  273. Madam Mette (from the Danish)
  274. The Meeting
  275. King Harold Harfagar
  276. The Lower World
  277. Muledom
  278. The Symbol of Madness
  279. Pride
  280. Away!
  281. Winter
  282. The Old Chimneypiece
  283. Longing
  284. Helena
  285. The Wise Stars
  286. The Angels
  287. Sound Doctrine
  288. Adam the First
  289. Warning
  290. To a Quondam Follower of Goethe (1832)
  291. The Secret
  292. On the Watchman’s Arrival in Paris
  293. The Drum-Major
  294. Degeneracy
  295. Henry
  296. Life’s Journey
  297. The New Jewish Hospital at Hamburg
  298. George Herwegh
  299. The Tendency
  300. The Child
  301. The Promise
  302. The Changeling
  303. The Emperor of China
  304. Church-Counsellor Prometheus
  305. To the Watchman
  306. Consoling Thoughts
  307. The World Turned Upside Down
  308. Enlightenment
  309. Wait Awhile!
  310. Night Thoughts
  311. New Spring, Prologue
  312. New Spring, 1
  313. New Spring, 2
  314. New Spring, 3
  315. New Spring, 4
  316. New Spring, 5
  317. New Spring, 6
  318. New Spring, 7
  319. New Spring, 8
  320. New Spring, 9
  321. New Spring, 10
  322. New Spring, 11
  323. New Spring, 12
  324. New Spring, 13
  325. New Spring, 14
  326. New Spring, 15
  327. New Spring, 16
  328. New Spring, 17
  329. New Spring, 18
  330. New Spring, 19
  331. New Spring, 20
  332. New Spring, 21
  333. New Spring, 22
  334. New Spring, 23
  335. New Spring, 24
  336. New Spring, 25
  337. New Spring, 26
  338. New Spring, 27
  339. New Spring, 28
  340. New Spring, 29
  341. New Spring, 30
  342. New Spring, 31
  343. New Spring, 32
  344. New Spring, 33
  345. New Spring, 34
  346. New Spring, 35
  347. New Spring, 36
  348. New Spring, 37
  349. New Spring, 38
  350. New Spring, 39
  351. New Spring, 40
  352. New Spring, 41
  353. New Spring, 42
  354. New Spring, 43
  355. New Spring, 44
  356. The Return Home, 1
  357. The Return Home, 2
  358. The Return Home, 3
  359. The Return Home, 4
  360. The Return Home, 5
  361. The Return Home, 6
  362. The Return Home, 7
  363. The Return Home, 8
  364. The Return Home, 9
  365. The Return Home, 10
  366. The Return Home, 11
  367. The Return Home, 12
  368. The Return Home, 13
  369. The Return Home, 14
  370. The Return Home, 15
  371. The Return Home, 16
  372. The Return Home, 17
  373. The Return Home, 18
  374. The Return Home, 19
  375. The Return Home, 20
  376. The Return Home, 21
  377. The Return Home, 22
  378. The Return Home, 23
  379. The Return Home, 24
  380. The Return Home, 25
  381. The Return Home, 26
  382. The Return Home, 27
  383. The Return Home, 28
  384. The Return Home, 29
  385. The Return Home, 30
  386. The Return Home, 31
  387. The Return Home, 32
  388. The Return Home, 33
  389. The Return Home, 34
  390. The Return Home, 35
  391. The Return Home, 36
  392. The Return Home, 37
  393. The Return Home, 38
  394. The Return Home, 39
  395. The Return Home, 40
  396. The Return Home, 41
  397. The Return Home, 42
  398. The Return Home, 43
  399. The Return Home, 44
  400. The Return Home, 45
  401. The Return Home, 46
  402. The Return Home, 47
  403. The Return Home, 48
  404. The Return Home, 49
  405. The Return Home, 50
  406. The Return Home, 51
  407. The Return Home, 52
  408. The Return Home, 53
  409. The Return Home, 54
  410. The Return Home, 55
  411. The Return Home, 56
  412. The Return Home, 57
  413. The Return Home, 58
  414. The Return Home, 59
  415. The Return Home, 60
  416. The Return Home, 61
  417. The Return Home, 62
  418. The Return Home, 63
  419. The Return Home, 64
  420. The Return Home, 65
  421. The Return Home, 66
  422. The Return Home, 67
  423. The Return Home, 68
  424. The Return Home, 69
  425. The Return Home, 70
  426. The Return Home, 71
  427. The Return Home, 72
  428. The Return Home, 73
  429. The Return Home, 74
  430. The Return Home, 75
  431. The Return Home, 76
  432. The Return Home, 77
  433. The Return Home, 78
  434. The Return Home, 79
  435. The Return Home, 80
  436. The Return Home, 81
  437. The Return Home, 82
  438. The Return Home, 83
  439. The Return Home, 84
  440. The Return Home, 85
  441. The Return Home, 86
  442. The Return Home, 87
  443. The Return Home, 88
  444. The Return Home, 89
  445. The Return Home, 90
  446. The Return Home, 91
  447. The Return Home, 92
  448. The Hartz-Journey, Preface
  449. The Hartz-Journey, 1
  450. The Hartz-Journey, 2
  451. The Hartz-Journey, 3
  452. The Hartz-Journey, 4
  453. The Hartz-Journey, 5
  454. The Hartz-Journey, 6
  455. Evening Twilight
  456. Sunset
  457. The Night on the Strand
  458. Poseidon
  459. Homage
  460. Declaration
  461. In the Cabin at Night
  462. Storm
  463. Calm at Sea
  464. The Ocean Spectre
  465. Purification
  466. Peace
  467. Sea Salutation
  468. Thunderstorm
  469. The Shipwrecked One
  470. Sunset
  471. The Song of the Oceanides
  472. The Gods of Greece
  473. Questions
  474. The Phœnix
  475. Echo
  476. Sea-Sickness
  477. In Harbour
  478. Epilogue
  479. Monologue
  480. Rhampsenitus
  481. The White Elephant
  482. Knave of Bergen
  483. The Valkyres
  484. Hastings’ Battle-Field
  485. Charles I
  486. Marie Antoinette
  487. The Silesian Weavers
  488. Pomare
  489. The Apollo God
  490. Hymn to King Louis
  491. Two Knights
  492. Our Marine
  493. The Golden Calf
  494. King David
  495. King Richard
  496. The Asra
  497. The Nuns
  498. Palgravine Jutta
  499. The Moorish King
  500. Geoffrey Rudèl and Melisanda of Tripoli
  501. The Poet Ferdusi
  502. Voyage by Night
  503. The Prelude
  504. Vitzliputzli
  505. Wood Solitude
  506. Spanish Lyrics
  507. The Ex-Living One
  508. The Ex-Watchman
  509. Mythology
  510. In Matilda’s Album
  511. To the Young
  512. The Unbeliever
  513. Whither Now?
  514. An Old Song
  515. Ready Money
  516. The Old Rose
  517. Auto-da-Fé
  518. The Way of the World
  519. Retrospect, 1
  520. Resurrection
  521. The Dying One
  522. Rascality
  523. Retrospect, 2
  524. Imperfection
  525. Pious Warning
  526. The Cooled-Down One
  527. Solomon
  528. Lost Wishes
  529. The Anniversary
  530. Meeting Again
  531. Mrs. Care
  532. To the Angels
  533. In October 1849
  534. Evil Dreams
  535. It Goes Out
  536. The Will
  537. Enfant Perdu
  538. Princess Sabbath
  539. Jehuda ben Halevy
  540. Disputation
  541. Peace-Yearning
  542. In May
  543. Body and Soul
  544. Red Slippers
  545. Babylonian Sorrows
  546. The Slave Ship
  547. Affrontenburg
  548. Appendix to Lazarus, 1
  549. Appendix to Lazarus, 2
  550. Appendix to Lazarus, 3
  551. Appendix to Lazarus, 4
  552. Appendix to Lazarus, 5
  553. Appendix to Lazarus, 6
  554. Appendix to Lazarus, 7
  555. Appendix to Lazarus, 8
  556. Appendix to Lazarus, 9
  557. Appendix to Lazarus, 10
  558. Appendix to Lazarus, 11
  559. Ascension
  560. The Affianced Ones
  561. The Philanthropist
  562. The Whims of the Amorous
  563. Mimi
  564. Good Advice
  565. Reminiscences of Hammonia
  566. The Robbers
  567. The Young Cats’ Club for Poetry-Music
  568. Hans Lack-Land
  569. Recollections from Krähwinkel’s Days of Terror
  570. The Audience
  571. Kobes I
  572. Epilogue
  573. The Song of Songs
  574. The Suttler’s Song
  575. Horse and Ass
  576. The Ass-Election
  577. Bertha
  578. In the Cathedral
  579. The Dragonfly
  580. Old Scents
  581. Miserere
  582. To Matilda
  583. For the “Mouche”
  584. The Pilgrimage to Kevlaar
  585. The Loreley
  586. The Mountain Voice
  587. For many thousand ages
  588. In the Rhine, in the beautiful river
  589. The Lotus-flower doth languish
  590. The world is dull, the world is blind
  591. I blame thee not, a broken heart my lot
  592. The violets blue of the eyes divine
  593. The earth is so fair and the heaven so blue
  594. I gazed upon her picture
  595. A pine-tree standeth lonely
  596. My darling, thou art flowerlike
  597. Say, where is the maiden sweet
  598. The old dream comes again to me
  599. My darling, we sat together
  600. My heart, my heart is mournful
  601. Questions
  602. As I each day in the morning
  603. You lovely fisher-maiden
  604. In the arms of the lovely maiden
  605. Where?
  606. Body and Soul
  607. Thy little hand lay on my bosom, dear
  608. The phantoms of times forgotten
  609. I dreamt of the daughter of a king
  610. In the sunny summer morning
  611. Night lay upon mine eyelids
  612. They have company this evening
  613. Diamonds hast thou, and pearls
  614. Peace

See Heinrich Heine in the full archive →