Birg, o Veilchen, in deinem blauen Kelche,
Birg die Tränen der Wehmut, bis mein Liebchen
Diese Quelle besucht! Entpflückt sie lächelnd
Dich dem Rasen, die Brust mit dir zu schmücken.
O dann schmiege dich [ihr ans]1 Herz, und sag ihr,
Daß die Tropfen in deinem blauen Kelche
Aus der Seele des [treu'sten]2 Jünglings flossen,
Der sein Leben [verweinet]3, und den Tod wünscht.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Amon: "an ihr"
2 Tomášek: "treuesten"
3 Amon: "verweint"
Text Authorship:
Based on:
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 Andreas Amon (1763 - 1825), "An ein Veilchen", op. 38 (Sechs Lieder mit Begleitung des Klaviers oder der Guitarre) no. 3 [ voice and piano or guitar ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gottlob Bachmann (1763 - 1840), "An ein Veilchen", op. 33 no. 4 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Oden, beym Clavier zu singen, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "An ein Veilchen", op. 49 (Fünf Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 2 (1868), published 1868, first performed 1871 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johann Xaver Sterkel (1750 - 1817), "An ein Veilchen", op. 40 (Sechs Lieder mit Begleitung des Piano-Forte von Hölty) no. 5 [ voice and piano ], Augsburg, Gombart, No. 290 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Václav Jan Křtitel Tomášek (1774 - 1850), "An ein Veilchen", op. 2 (6 Lieder) no. 6 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "A una violeta", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Aan een viooltje", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "To a violet", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-04
Line count: 8
Word count: 66
Hide, o violet, in your blue calyx -
Hide my melancholy tears, until my darling
Visits this spring! If she smilingly picks
You from the grass to adorn her bosom with you,
Oh then nestle yourself to her heart, and tell her
That those drops in your blue calyx
Flowed from the soul of the truest youth,
Who is weeping away his life and wishes for death.
