There sits the owl in the elm tree

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by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Da sitzt der Kauz im Ulmenbaum

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Da sitzt der Kauz im Ulmenbaum
Und heult und heult im Ulmenbaum.
Die Welt hat für uns beide Raum!
Was heult der Kauz im Ulmenbaum
Von Sterben und von Sterben?

Und übern Weg die Nachtigall,
Genüber pfeift die Nachtigall.
O weh, die Lieb' ist gangen all!
Was pfeift so süß die Nachtigall
Von Liebe und von Liebe?
 
Zur Rechten hell ein Liebeslied,
Zur Linken grell ein Sterbelied!
Ach, bleibt denn nichts, wenn Liebe schied,
Denn nichts als nur ein Sterbelied
Kaum wegbreit noch hinüber?

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Storms Werke, herausgegeben von Theodor Hertel, ertes Band, Mehers Klassiker-Ausgaben, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig und Wien, 1918, page 15.

Text Authorship:

by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888), "Käuzlein" [author's text checked 2 times 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 Gustav Hasse (1834 - 1889), "Da sitzt der Kauz im Ulmenbaum ", op. 20 (Sechs Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1876 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-12-21
Line count: 15
Word count: 84

There sits the owl in the elm tree

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

There sits the owl in the elm tree
And howls and howls in the elm tree.
The world has room for both us!
Wherefore does the owl howl in the elm tree
Of dying and of dying?

And across the way the nightingale,
Over the way the nightingale whistles.
Oh woe, all love has vanished!
Wherefore does the nightingale whistle so sweetly
Of love and of love?

To the right, brightly, a love song,
To the left, piercingly, a song of death!
Ah, when love has vanished, does nothing remain,
Nothing but a song of death
Barely the width of a road away?

About the headline (FAQ)

Translated titles:
"Käuzlein" = "Owlet"
"Da sitzt der Kauz im Ulmenbaum" = "There sits the owl in the elm tree"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888), "Käuzlein"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2013-10-31
Line count: 15
Word count: 103