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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.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Guido Moritz Görres (1805 - 1852)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Nachtigallen singen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Die Nachtigallen singen,
Der Mai ist froh erwacht;
D’rum wollen wir dir bringen,
Was uns der Mai gebracht, 
Und hier zu deinen Füssen,1
Mit Blumen dich begrüssen, 
Maria, [o]2 Maria!

O Jungfrau! Dein Erbarmen
Verschmäht die Blumen nicht,
Die Dir die Hand des Armen,
Zum Kranze liebend flicht;
Du hörst den Ruf der Schmerzen,1
Drum rufen wir von Herzen: 
Maria, [o]2 Maria!

Wir bringen Dir die Blüthen
Für unser Herz als Pfand,
O wolle uns behüten
Mit treuer Mutterhand,
Daß wir in Deinem Schooße1
Erblühen gleich der Rose,
Maria, [o]2 Maria!

O Du, in Gottes Garten
Als Gärtnerin bestellt,
Beschirm uns vor den harten
Gefahren dieser Welt,
Daß uns der Feind nicht schade1
Im Schatten Deiner Gnade,
Maria, [o]2 Maria!

Maria! Gnadenbronne,
Bethaue unser Herz,
Du klare Himmelssonne
Verkläre Lust und Schmerz,
Und laß uns, eh wir sterben,1
Den Himmelsgarten erben,
Maria, [o]2 Maria!

Und wenn auf Deinen Auen
Der Himmelsmai erblüht,
O Jungfrau der Jungfrauen,
Sei gnadenvoll bemüht,
Daß wir mit Maienzweigen
Dann singen in dem Reigen:
Maria, o Maria!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Marienlieder zur Feier der Maiandacht gedichtet von Guido Görres. Rom im Mai 1842, Zweite , um dreißig Lieder vermehrte Ausgabe, München: [no publisher given], 1844, pages 8-10

1 Anonymous adds "Maria, Maria!"
2 Omitted by Anonymous

Text Authorship:

  • by Guido Moritz Görres (1805 - 1852), "Die Nachtigallen", subtitle: "(Erster Mai.)" [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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "Die Nachtigallen", published 1880 [ satb chorus ], from Ave Maria, no. 1, Regensburg: J. Georg Boessenecker [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Julius Joseph Maier (1821 - 1889), "Die Nachtigallen singen", op. 10 no. 4, published 1858 [ SATB quartet ], from Marienlieder, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , subtitle: "(The First of May.)", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-01-21
Line count: 42
Word count: 181

The nightingales are singing
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The nightingales are singing,
May has awakened joyfully;
Therefore we shall bring [to Thee]
What May has brought to us,
And here at Thy feet1
Greet Thee with flowers,
Mary, [oh]2 Mary!

Oh Virgin! Thy mercy
Does not scorn the flowers
That the hand of a poor wretch
Lovingly winds into a wreath for Thee;
Thou hearest the cry of pain,1
Therefore we call from our hearts:
Mary, [oh]2 Mary!

We bring Thee the blossoms
As a pledge of our hearts,
Oh wouldst Thou protect us
With a faithful mother’s hand,
That we in Thy lap1
May bloom like the rose,
Mary, [oh]2 Mary!

Oh Thou, in God’s garden
Appointed as a gardener,
Screen us from the hard
Dangers of this world,
So that the enemy may not harm us,1
In the shadow of Thy benevolence,
Mary, [oh]2 Mary!

Mary! Fount of mercy,
Bedew our hearts,
Thou clear heavenly sun,
Transfigure joy and pain,
And let us, before we die,1
Inherit the garden of heaven,
Mary, [oh]2 Mary!

And when upon Thy meadows
The May of Heaven blooms,
Oh virgin of all virgins,
Bestir Thyself mercifully,
So that with the branches of May
We may sing in the round:
Mary, [oh]2 Mary!

Subtitle: "(The First of May.)"

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Translations of titles:
"Die Nachtigallen" = "The nightingales"
"Die Nachtigallen singen" = "The nightingales are singing"

1 Anonymous adds "Mary, Mary!"
2 Omitted by Anonymous.

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 Guido Moritz Görres (1805 - 1852), "Die Nachtigallen", subtitle: "(Erster Mai.)"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2017-07-12
Line count: 42
Word count: 213

Gentle Reminder

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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