Blumenballade

Noch ziehn die Wolken düster,
die Erde deckt noch Schnee,
da schaut des Lenzes Küster
hervor mit Sehnsuchtsweh;

Es ist das Blumenglöckchen,
das guckt hervor voll Scheu,
ob's wohl im dünnen Röckchen
zu kalt nicht droben sei?

Es guckt nach allen Seiten
und schüttelt trüb sein Haupt,
nur rauhe Winde streiten,
kein Baum ist noch belaubt.

Da faßt ein tiefes Grämen
das kleine Blumenherz,
da muß es Abschied nehmen,
muß wieder grabeswärts.

"Ade, ihr lieben Blumen,
hätt euch so gern geseh'n,
wenn Bienlein euch umsummen,
ist's längst um mich geschehn!

Ade, ihr duftgen Rosen,
ihr Veilchen zart und fein,
wenn West und Falter kosen,
wirds freudlos um mich sein!"

Doch sieh! Doch sieh, mit luft'gen Schwingen
kommt schon ein West daher,
dem folgt mit freud'gem Singen
ein Vöglein übers Meer.

Dem Vöglein folgt ein Zweites,
was sollt es auch allein,
und fröhlichen Geleites
zieht Frühling hinterdrein.

Wie da zu süßen Freuden
des Blümleins Herz entflammt,
doch will es selbst im Scheiden
verrichten noch sein Amt.

Da läutet's ohn' Ermatten
als Küster, klein und schwach,
aus ihrem Gräberschatten
die Blumenschläfer wach.

Doch kaum noch, mit Geflüster
erstehn sie aus dem Grab,
sinkt auch der kleine Küster
 in seines schon hinab.

Translation(s): ENG

List of language codes

Submitted by Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Authorship

• by Johann Nepomuk Vogl (1802 - 1866) [ author's text not yet checked 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 Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Blumenballade", subtitle: "Annunciata", 1846, published 1885. [
   text verified 1 time
  ]

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

• ENG English (John H. Campbell) (W. Kommer) , title 1: "Flower ballad", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

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Flower ballad

 Clouds are heavy in the sky,
 snow still covers the earth,
 when the herald of spring looks
 forth with worried longing;
 
 It is the snowdrop,
 that looks forth with fear,
 whether in the thin skirt,
 is it not too cold up there?
 
 It looks to all sides
 and mournfully shakes its head,
 only blustery wind blows,
 no tree is yet in leaf.
 
 Then, a deep grief grips
 the small flower's heart,
 it must say good-bye,
 must return to its grave.
 
 ``Farewell, you lovely flowers, 
 I would have loved to see you,
 when bees buzz around you,
 my time will be over !
 
 Farewell, you sweet-smelling roses,
 you violets, delicate and fine,
 when wind and butterflies caress you,
 everything will be dark around me!''
 
 But see! But see, with airily wafting there
 comes a wind, that is
 followed by a bird, which comes with joyful singing
 over the sea.
 
 A second bird follows,
 what would he do alone,
 and happily
 spring follows behind.
 
 To what sweet joys
 the little flower's heart inflames,
 even when dying it wants to
 perform its office!
 
 Then it tells without tiring
 as it heralds, small and weak,
 as from the shadows of their graves
 the sleeping flowers awake.
 
 But they have hardly emerged
  from their graves
  with whisperings
 when the small herald sinks down into his.

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Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell and W. Kommer, (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.
  
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• a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Nepomuk Vogl (1802 - 1866)
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe. Go to the text.

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