Vöglein Schwermut

Ein schwarzes Vöglein fliegt über die Welt,
das singt so todestraurig...
[Wer es hört, der hört nichts anderes mehr,]1
wer es hört, der tut sich ein Leides an,
der mag keine Sonne mehr schauen.

Allmitternacht ruht es [sich]2 aus
auf [dem Finger]3 des Tods.
Der streichelt's leis und spricht ihm zu:
"Flieg, mein [Vögelein!]4 flieg, mein [Vögelein!]3"
Und wieder [fliegt's]5 flötend über die Welt.

Translation(s): ENG FRE

List of language codes

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ omitted by Petersen.
² omitted by Wolff
³ Zemlinsky: "den Fingern"
⁴ Zemlinsky: "Vögelchen!"
⁵ Wolff: "fliegt's Vögelein"

Submitted by Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Authorship

• by Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914), "Vöglein Schwermut", appears in Auf vielen Wegen, in Vom Tagwerk des Todes [ author's text checked 1 time]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

• by Hans Gál (1890 - 1987), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 33 (Fünf Lieder) no. 3 (1917), published 1929 [medium voice and piano], N, Simrock, Berlin [ sung text verified 1 time]
• by Harald Genzmer (1909 - 2007), "Vöglein Schwermut", 1940-87 [baritone or soprano and piano], from Acht Lieder nach verschiedenen Dichtern [ sung text not verified ]
• by Heinz Holliger (b. 1939), "Vöglein Schwermut", 1956/7, rev. 2003 [soprano and piano or orchestra], from Sechs Lieder nach Gedichten von Christian Morgenstern, no. 4, Schott [ sung text not verified ]
• by Yrjö Henrik Kilpinen (1892 - 1959), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 62 no. 1 (1928), from Lieder um den Tod, no. 1. [ sung text verified 1 time]
• by Wilhelm Petersen (1890 - 1957), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 41 (Vier Lieder) no. 1. [ sung text verified 1 time]
• by (Richard Gustav) Heinz Tiessen (1887 - 1971), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 23 no. 3. [ sung text not verified ]
• by Ernest Vietor (fl. 1905-1930), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 5 no. 2. [ sung text not verified ]
• by Karl Weigl (1881 - 1949), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 26 (2 Frauenchöre a cappella) no. 1 (1918-9), published 1933. [four-part women's chorus a cappella] [ sung text not verified ]
• by Felix Paul Weingartner (1863 - 1942), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 39 no. 2 (1906). [ sung text not verified ]
• by Erich J. Wolff (1874 - 1913), "Vöglein Schwermut", Lieder no. 16, published 1914. [voice and piano] [ sung text verified 1 time]
• by Stefan Wolpe (1902 - 1972), "Vöglein Schwermut", 1920. [voice and piano] [ sung text not verified ]
• by Erich Zeisl (1905 - 1959), "Vöglein Schwermut", 1929 [alto and piano], unpublished [ sung text not verified ]
• by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 10 (Sechs Lieder und Gesänge) no. 3 (1901?), from Ehetanzlied und andere Gesänge, no. 3. [ sung text verified 1 time]

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

• ENG English (John H. Campbell) , "Melancholy bird", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Mélancolie du petit oiseau", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Browse imslp.org (Petrucci Music Library) for Lieder or choral works