by Anne Hunter (1742 - 1821)
Translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870)
The Dairy‑House
Language: English
Available translation(s): FRE
A spreading hawthorn shades the seat Where I have fix'd my cool retreat; And when the spring, with sunny show'rs, Expands the leaves, and paints the flow'rs, A thousands shrubs around it bloom, And fill the air with wild perfume; The light winds through the branches sigh, And limpid rills run tinkling by. There, by the twilight dimly seen, The fairies dance upon the green, And as they glide in airy ring, The beetle plies his drowsy wing; And watching'till the day retires, The glow worm lights her elfin fires; While Mab, who guards my milky store, Her cream bowl finds before the door. The grateful Fay! she is so kind No caterpillar there you find, No creeping thing, nor wasp, nor fly The lattic'd windows dare come night; No long legg'd Spinner nightly weaves Her flimsy web beneath the eaves; But clean and neat, as by a charm, The fairies keep my dairy farm.
Authorship:
- by Anne Hunter (1742 - 1821) [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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "The Dairy-House", WoO. 155 (26 Walisische Lieder) no. 17, G. 226 no. 17, published 1810/2 [ voice, piano, violin, violoncello ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La laiterie", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Georg Pertz) , "Die Meierei"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-17
Line count: 24
Word count: 155
Die Meierei
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Ein Weißdorn, weithin schattend, deckt Die Zuflucht, die mich kühl versteckt; Und wenn der Lenz mit Regensprüh'n Die Knospe sprengt, das Blatt malt grün, Dann blüht dort üppig Busch und Strauch Und füllt die Luft mit süßem Hauch; Im Laubwerk seufzt der Zephyr Und murmurmelnd flieht vorbei der Bach. Dort tanzt im Abenddämmerschein Das Elfenvolk auf grünem Rain; Und wenn es huscht im Luft'gen Kreis Streckt sich zur Ruh' der Käfer leis': Der Glühwurm harrt, bis Tag verrann, Und steckt sein Elfenfeuer an, Da Mab ... sie schützt den Milchschatz mir ... Den Rahmnapf findet vor der Tür. Die gute Fee dankbar mir, Nicht eine Raupe gibt es hier, Kein schleichend Tier, kein Wespenschwarm Naht sich dem Umkreis meiner Farm; Nicht sieht zur Nacht man am Kamin Ihr Netz langbein'ge Spinnen zieh'n; Nein, wie durch Zauber hält die Fee Die Wirtschaft nett und rein wie Schnee.
Authorship:
- by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870), "Die Meierei" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Anne Hunter (1742 - 1821)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2006-01-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 146