by
Julius Wolff (1834 - 1910)
Die Schalmei
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): CAT ENG
Ich weiß im Wald eine Weide stahn,
Die hörte nie Wasser rauschen,
Nie weinen ein Kind, nie krähen den Hahn,
Da lohnt es der Mühe zu lauschen.
Wenn schon ihr Saft in Stamm und Ast
Aufsteigt und quillt zur Reife,
Dann klopft man wacker und schält den Bast
Vom Splinte zu einer Pfeife.
Denn von der Weide zur rechten Zeit
Ein Zweig geschnitten zur Flöte
Ist eine köstliche Heimlichkeit
Und gut für mancherlei Nöthe.
So Einer bläst auf solchem Rohr
Mit lautem, lustigem Schalle,
Spitzt Mensch und Thier sogleich das Ohr
Und folgt und geht in die Falle.
Ich locke mit Listen auf meiner Schalmei
Zu springenden, zappelnden Tänzen,
Da kommen die mit den Zöpfen herbei
Und die mit den langen Schwänzen.
Sie müssen heraus, sie müssen hervor
Aus ihrem Versteck und Gehäuse,
Die Weiber, die Mädchen, die Kinder im Chor,
Alle Ratten und alle Mäuse.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La xeremia", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The shawm", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-02-25
Line count: 24
Word count: 146
The shawm
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
I know a willow standing in the forest,
It never heard water rushing,
Never heard a child crying, never a rooster crowing,
It would repay the labour of listening.
When already its sap in trunk and branch
Rises and wells up to ripeness,
Then one chops lustily and peels the bark
From the splinter to make a pipe.
For from the willow at the right time
A branch cut to be a flute
Is a precious secret
And good in many a situation.
If someone blows upon such a reed
With a loud, merry sound,
Then people and animals immediately perk up their ears
And follow and enter the trap.
With cunning, upon my shawm I entice
To leaping, fidgeting dances,
Those with braids appear forthwith
And those with long tails.
They must come out, they must come forth
From their hiding places and houses,
The women, the maidens, the children in swarms,
All rats and all mice.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2014-05-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 158