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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

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by Gustav Pfarrius (1800 - 1884)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Saß ein Fink' in dunkler Hecke
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Saß ein Fink' in dunkler Hecke,
Sah der Wolke lichten Saum,
Flog heraus aus dem Verstecke
Auf den lichten Tannenbaum;

Weite Aussicht wollt' er haben
Ueber Berg und über Thal,
Und sich brüsten und sich laben
In dem goldnen Sonnenstrahl;

Kam ein Raubthier hergeflogen
Von des Felsen grauem Thurm,
Schwebte hoch in stillen Bogen,
Fuhr herab wie Wettersturm;

Hat den Finken in die Gabel
Seiner Krallen festgepackt,
Hat ihm mit gekreuztem Schnabel
Beide Aeuglein ausgehackt;

War der Jäger schnell gekommen,
Wo der Blinde zuckend lag,
Hat zur Pfleg' ihn aufgenommen,
Doch zu ihm der Finke sprach:

Kann ich nicht den Tag mehr sehen,
Den gegrüßt mein frohes Lied,
Will ich gern zu Grabe gehen;
Sprach der Finke und verschied.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Gustav Pfarrius, Die Waldlieder, Köln: Verlag der M. DuMont-Schonberg'schen Buchhandlung, 1850, page 58


Text Authorship:

  • by Gustav Pfarrius (1800 - 1884), "Vom Finken", appears in Waldlieder, first published 1850 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Karl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (1824 - 1910), "Vom armen Finken im Baumeszweig", op. 37 (Acht Kinderlieder) no. 8 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2007-09-29
Line count: 24
Word count: 119

A finch sat in a dark hedge
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
A finch sat in a dark hedge,
Saw the bright border of the cloud,
Flew out from its hiding place
Onto a bright fir tree;

It wanted to have a wide view
Over the mountain and over the valley,
And wanted to thrust out its breast and refresh itself
In the golden sunbeam;

A bird of prey came a-flying
From the grey tower of the cliff,
It soared high in a wide circle,
Plunged downward like a sudden storm;

It seized the finch tightly
In the grip of its talons,
With its crossed beak it 
Pecked out both of the finch’s eyes;

The hunter came rapidly by
The place where the blind bird lay twitching,
He took it up to tend to it,
But the finch said to him:

If I can no longer see the day
That my happy song used to greet,
I gladly go to my grave;
[Thus] spoke the finch and died.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Vom armen Finken im Baumeszweig" = "About the poor finch on the branch of the tree"
"Vom Finken" = "About the finch"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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 Gustav Pfarrius (1800 - 1884), "Vom Finken", appears in Waldlieder, first published 1850
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2017-05-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 156

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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