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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 Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Kleiner Haushalt
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ITA
Einen Haushalt klein und fein
Hab' ich angestellt;
Der soll mein Freund sein,
Dem er wohlgefällt.

Der Specht, der Holz mit dem Schnabel haut,
Hat das Haus mir aufgebaut;
Daß das Haus beworfen sei,
Trug die Schwalbe Mörtel bei,
Und als Dach hat sich zuletzt
Obendrauf ein Schwamm gesetzt.

Drinnen die Kammern
Und die Gemächer,
Schränke und Fächer,
Flimmern und flammern;
Alles hat mir unbezahlt
Schmetterling mit Duft bemalt.

O wie rüstig in dem Haus
Geht die Wirtschaft ein und aus.

Wasserjüngferchen, das flinke,
Holt mir Wasser, das ich trinke;
Biene muß mir Essen holen,
Frage nicht, wo sie's gestohlen.

Schüsseln sind die Eichelnäpfchen,
Und die Krüge Tannenzäpfchen,
Messer, Gabel,
Rosendorn und Vogelschnabel.

Storch im Haus ist Kinderwärter,
Maulwurf Gärtner,
Und Beschließerin im Häuslein
Ist das Mäuslein.

Aber die Grille
Singt in der Stille,
Sie ist das Heimchen, ist immer daheim,
Und weiß nichts als den einen Reim.

Doch im ganzen Haus das beste
Schläft noch feste.
In dem Winkel, in dem Bettchen,
Zwischen zweien Rosenblättchen,
Schläft das Schätzchen Tausendschönchen,
Ihr zu Fuß ein Kaiserkrönchen.

Hüter ist Vergißmeinnicht,
Der vom Bette wanket nicht;
Glühwurm mit dem Kerzenschimmer
Hellt das Zimmer.

Die Wachtel wacht
Die ganze Nacht,
Und wenn der Tag beginnt,
Ruft sie: Kind! Kind!
Wach auf geschwind.

Wenn die Liebe wachet auf,
Geht das Leben raschen Lauf.

In seidnen Gewändern,
Gewebt aus Sommerfaden,
In flatternden Bändern,
Von Sorgen unbeladen,
Lustig aus dem engen Haus
Die Flur hinaus.

Schönen Wagen
Hab' ich bestellt,
Uns zu tragen
Durch die Welt.

Vier Heupferdchen sollen ihn
Als vier Apfelschimmel ziehn;

Sie sind wohl ein gut Gespann,
Das mit Rossen sich messen kann;
Sie haben Flügel,
Sie leiden nicht Zügel,
Sie kennen alle Blumen der Au',
Und alle Tränken von Tau genau.

Es geht nicht im Schritt;
Kind, kannst du mit?
Es geht im Trott!
Nur zu mit Gott!
Laß du sie uns tragen
Nach ihrem Behagen;
Und wenn sie uns werfen vom Wagen herab,
So finden wir unter Blumen ein Grab.

Confirmed with Friedrich Rückert, Gesammelte Gedichte, Dritter Band, Erlangen, Carl Heyder, 1837, pages 143-146.


Text Authorship:

  • by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Kleiner Haushalt", appears in Jugendlieder [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 Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Kleiner Haushalt", op. 71, published 1840 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "A small household", copyright ©
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Piccola casetta", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 77
Word count: 328

A small household
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
 A household small and fine
 I have established;
 he shall be my friend
 who likes it well.
 
 The woodpecker, carving wood with his beak,
 built this house for me;
 so that the house would have a face,
 the swallow brought me mortar;
 and finally, for the roof,
 a toadstool was set on top.
 
 Inside, rooms
 and chambers,
 cupboards and shelves,
 shimmer and shine;
 everything has been painted for me
 for free by the butterfly, with fragrance.
 
 O how actively in the house
 the managers walk in and out.
 
 The nimble dragonfly
 fetches me water to drink;
 a bee fetches me food,
 and where she stole it I do not ask.
 
 My dishes are acorn-cups,
 and my jugs are pinecones;
 knife, fork -
 rose thorn and bird beak.
 
 The nanny of the house is a stork,
 a mole the gardener,
 and the housekeeper of my house
 is a little mouse.
 
 But the cricket
 singing in the silence,
 the homely one - she is always at home
 and knows only one tune.
 
 But in the entire house, the best
 still sleeps soundly.
 In the corner, in the little bed,
 between two rose-leaves,
 sleeps my darling Daisy,
 at her feet the crown of emperors.
 
 Guarding her is a forget-me-not,
 that never moves from the bedside;
 a glow-worm with his candlelight
 illuminates the room.
 
 The quail keeps watch
 the entire night,
 and when the day begins,
 she cries: Child Child!
 Wake up quickly.
 
 When my beloved awakens,
 life rushes forward in its course.
 
 In silk robes,
 woven of summer threads,
 in fluttering ribbons,
 untroubled by care,
 merrily we leave our tiny house
 and go out into the meadow.
 
 A fine carriage
 have I ordered
 to bear us
 through the world.
 
 Four grasshoppers shall
 draw it, like four dappled grey horses;
 
 They are a good team,
 that can be measured against any steeds;
 They have wings,
 and they endure no reins.
 They know well all the flowers of the meadow,
 and every dewy drinking-place.
 
 We do not go at a walking pace -
 Child, can you keep up wih us?
 We go at a trot,
 and only with God!
 Let them bear us
 where they will,
 and if they throw us from the carriage,
 we will find a grave beneath the flowers.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
    licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Kleiner Haushalt", appears in Jugendlieder
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 77
Word count: 375

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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