In search of a poem I once knew in German

Question

Some years ago I memorizedand recited a poem in German. I can only remember the last line, and several online searches were unsuccessful. Does anyone recognize this? The last line was

Ich lache mit, und sterbe.

It is probably a short poem, and a well-known one. I was in high school.

Google leads me to this: https://www.staff.uni-mainz.de/pommeren/Gedichte/BdL/Heimk-63.html — Carsten S, Jun 11 '23 at 12:09

Paul Frost · Accepted Answer · 2023-06-11T12:32:32.857

4

It is a poem of Heinrich Heine:

Gedichte. Buch der Lieder. Die Heimkehr, 63.

Wer zum ersten Male liebt

Wer zum ersten Male liebt,
Sei's auch glücklos, ist ein Gott;
Aber wer zum zweiten Male
Glücklos liebt, der ist ein Narr.

Ich, ein solcher Narr, ich liebe
Wieder ohne Gegenliebe!
Sonne, Mond und Sterne lachen,
Und ich lache mit – und sterbe.

See also here p.120 and here.

edited Jun 11 '23 at 12:32

answered Jun 11 '23 at 12:22

Paul Frost

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Apologies for accepting an answer so quickly, but this is exactly the poem. Danke! – nuggethead Jun 11 '23 at 12:52
@nuggethead: there is no "more correct" answer than the correct one, so you were correct to accept. – bakunin Jun 12 '23 at 08:57

In search of a poem I once knew in German

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