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Wie kann ich froh und lustig seyn, Wie kann ich geh'n mit Band und Straus? Wenn der herz'ge [Jung]1, der mir so lieb, Ist über die Berge weit hinaus? 'S ist nicht der frost'ge Winterwind, 'S ist nicht der Schnee und Sturm und Graus, Doch immer kommen mir Thränen in's Aug', Denk ich an ihn, der weit hinaus. Mein Vater wies mich von der Thür, Die Freunde stießen mich aus dem Haus, Doch Einer, weiß ich, nimmt mich auf, Der herz'ge [Jung]2, der weit hinaus. Ein Paar neue Handschuh' gab er mir, Und seidne Bänder und 'nen Strauß, Und ich will tragen sie um ihn, Den herz'gen Jung, der weit hinaus. Der lange Winter [geht]3 vorbei, Der Frühling putzt die Birken aus, [Mein süßes Kind wird geboren seyn, Und er kommt]4 heim, der weit hinaus.
F. Mendelssohn sets stanzas 1-2, 5
F. Jähns sets stanzas 1-3, 5
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Robert Burns. Übersetzt von Philipp Kaufmann, Stuttgart und Tübingen, Verlag der J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1839, page 52.
Note: contemporary German would change the following spellings: "seyn" -> "sein", "Straus" -> "Strauss", "Thränen" -> "Tränen", "Thür" -> "Tür", etc.
1 Mendelssohn, Jähns: "Junge"2 Jähns: "Junge"
3 Mendelssohn: "ist"
4 Jähns: "Es grünt und blüht und lacht der Mai,/ Und er kommt"; Mendelssohn: "Es grünt und blüht und lacht der Mai,/ Dann kehrt er"
Text Authorship:
- by (Johann) Philipp Kaufmann (1802 - 1846), no title [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Bonie Lad That's Far Awa", written 1788
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns (1809 - 1888), no title, stanzas 1-3,5, from Schottische Lieder und Gesänge mit Begleitung des Piano-Forte, gedichtet von Robert Burns, übersetzt von Philipp Kaufmann, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Wie kann ich froh und lustig sein?", stanzas 1-2,5 [ vocal duet for 2 sopranos with piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Com puc estar contenta i alegre?", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Hoe kan ik blij en vrolijk zijn?", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Tinelot Wittermans) , "How can I be happy and gay?", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Comment puis-je être heureuse et gaie ?", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- HEB Hebrew (עברית) [singable] (Ada Lewinsky) , "איך יהיה ליבי רונן", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Tinelot Wittermans , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 141
How can I be happy and gay? How can I wear a ribbon and a bunch of flowers? Now that the lovely boy whom I love so much Gone far away over the mountains! It isn't the icy winter wind It isn't the snow and the storm and the sleet But I'm getting tears in my eyes every time I think of him who's gone away. The long winter is over Spring makes the birches bright and beautiful The month of May colours and blooms and laughs Then he returns who was far away.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Tinelot Wittermans, (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 (Johann) Philipp Kaufmann (1802 - 1846), no title
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Bonie Lad That's Far Awa", written 1788
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 94