The feathered messenger | Only wander always

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by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der gefiederte Bote

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Wandre nur immer,
Vöglein, in's Zimmer
Meiner entzückenden Braut;
Sing' ihr, o singe
Freundliche Dinge,
Wie sie mein Mund dir vertraut.

  Und wenn im Flaume
Ruhend, vom Traume
Röther die Wang' ihr entglüht:
O so empfange
Sie mit Gesange,
Sing' ihr ein liebliches Lied!

  Pick' ihr behende
Lippen und Hände,
Wenn sie das Futter dir giebt.
Und alle Tage
Sing' ihr und sage,
Wie sie der Bräutigam liebt.

Confirmed with W. Gerhard's Gedichte, Erster Band, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth., 1826, page 53

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Der gefiederte Bote" [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 Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Der gefiederte Bote", op. 54 no. 2 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder von Wilhelm Gerhard, no. 2, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The feathered messenger", 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: 2010-10-26
Line count: 18
Word count: 69

The feathered messenger

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Only wander always, 
Little bird, into the chamber
Of my enchanting bride-to-be;
Sing to her, oh sing
Friendly things,
As my lips confide them to you.

  And when in her downy bed
Resting, a dream causes
Her cheek to glow more redly:
Oh then receive
Her with singing,
Sing her a lovely song!

  Nimbly peck
Her lips and hands
When she gives you your food.
And every day
Sing to her and tell her
How much her bridegroom loves her.

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 Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Der gefiederte Bote"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-08-25
Line count: 18
Word count: 81