Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (English: "Innsbruck, I Must Leave You") is a German-language

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

 song written by Heinrich Isaac

Heinrich Isaac

Heinrich Isaac was a Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer of south Netherlandish origin. He wrote masses, motets, songs , and instrumental music. A significant contemporary of Josquin des Prez, Isaac influenced the development of music in Germany...

 (1450-1517). It is famously associated with the city of Innsbruck

Innsbruck

- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...

 in Tyrol

Tyrol (state)

Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...

 (in modern-day Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

). The lyrics express his sorrow at having to leave his post at court. The melody

Melody

A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...

 was later used in a Lutheran chorale

Chorale

A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....

 by J. S. Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...

, O Welt, ich muss dich lassen. There has been doubt whether this melody was in fact written by Heinrich Isaac or copied from earlier tunes.

The song exists in two different four-part settings by Heinrich Isaac: a Diskantlied with the melody in the soprano

Soprano

A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...

 part, and a Tenorlied with the cantus firmus

Cantus firmus

In music, a cantus firmus is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition.The plural of this Latin term is , though the corrupt form canti firmi is also attested...

in the tenor

Tenor

The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...

 part.

Lyrics

Original German German language German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....  lyrics	Modern German Standard German Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...	English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...  translation
Isbruck, ich muß dich lassen Isbruck ich muß dich lassen ich far dohin mein strassen in fremde landt do hin mein freud ist mir genomen die ich nit weiß bekummen wo ich im elend bin. Groß leid muß ich yetz tragen das ich allein thu klagen dem liebsten bulen mein, ach lieb nun laß mich Armen im hertzen dein erbarmen das ich muß von dannen sein! Meyn trost ob allen weyben dein thu ich ewig pleyben stet trew der eren frumm nun muß dich Gott bewaren in aller thugent sparen biß das ich wider kumm!	Innsbruck, ich muss dich verlassen Innsbruck, ich muss dich verlassen, ich gehe meinen Weg (Straße), der mich in die Fremde (in ein fremdes Land/ fremde Länder) führt. Meine Freude habe ich verloren (wurde mir genommen), die ich nicht finden kann (weiß bekommen) wo ich im Elend bin. Großes Leid muss ich jetzt erdulden (tragen/ ertragen), das ich nur klagen kann: meinem liebsten Schatz. Ach, [meine] Liebe, behalte mich Armen in Deinem mitfühlenden Herzen, da ich fort muss. Trotz aller [anderen] Frauen bin ich mir gewiss: Dein bin ich ewig (werde ich ewig bleiben), dauerhaft (beständig) treu, wahrhaft ehrenvoll. Nun muss Dich Gott bewahren, in aller Sittlichkeit beistehen (unterstützen), bis ich einst wiederkomme.	Innsbruck, I Must Leave You Innsbruck, I must leave you; I go along my pathway to strange (distant) land(s). My joy has been taken from me, I don't know how to find it, where I am in sorrow's hands (in misery). I must now bear great sorrow which I can tell (entrust, complain) only to the one dearest to me. O my love, leave me not bereft of compassion in your heart that I must part from you. My consolation above all other women, I remain yours forever, always faithful, in true honor. And now, may God protect you, safe in virtue, till I once return.

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