Es ging ein Maidlein zarte

Es ging ein Maidlein zarte
Früh in der Morgenstund
In einen Blumengarten,
Frisch, fröhlich und gesund;
Der Blümlein es viel brechen wollt,
Daraus ein'n Kranz zu machen
Von Silber und von Gold.

Da kam herzugeschlichen
Ein gar erschrecklich Mann,
Die Farb war ihm verblichen,
Kein Kleider hatt er an.
Er hat kein Fleisch, kein Blut, kein Haar,
Es war an ihm verdorret,
Sein Fleisch und Flechsen gar.

O Tod, laß mich beim Leben,
Nimm all mein Hausgesind!
Mein Vater wird dirs geben,
Wenn er mich lebend findt;
Ich bin sein einzig Töchterlein,
Er würde mich nicht geben
Um tausend Gulden fein.

Er nahm sie in der Mitten,
Da sie am schwächsten war,
Es half an ihm kein Bitten,
Er warf sie in das Gras,
Und rührte an ihr junges Herz,
Da liegt das Maidlein zarte
Voll bittrer Angst und Schmerz.

Translation(s): DUT ENG FRE ITA

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Authorship

• from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [ 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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Das Mädchen und der Tod", WoO. 32 no. 23 (1858), published 1926 [voice and piano], from Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 23, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [
   text verified 1 time
  ]
• by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Es ging ein Maidlein zarte", WoO. 33 no. 21, published [1894], from Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 21, Berlin, N. Simrock [
   text verified 1 time
  ]

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

• ENG English (Linda Godry) , title 1: "Early one morning", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , no title, copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , title 1: "Andò una delicata fanciulla", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , title unknown, copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

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Andò una delicata fanciulla

Andò una delicata fanciulla,
presto, di primo mattino,
in un giardino fiorito,
era giovane, allegra e in salute;
voleva raccogliere i fiori,
per farne una ghirlanda,
colore d'oro e d'argento.

Ed ecco che, quatto quatto, arriva
un uomo dall'aspetto pauroso,
pallido era il suo volto,
e non indossava un vestito.
Era privo di pelle e capelli,
si erano disseccati il suo sangue,
la carne ed  ogni tendine. 

O Morte lasciami vivere ancora,
prendi tutta la mia  servitù!
Mio padre te la darà volentieri,
se questo mi manterrà in vita;
Io sono figlia unica,
non mi darebbe a nessuno,
nemmeno per mille fiorini.

Ma Morte la ghermì proprio là,
dove lei era più debole,
le suppliche non servirono a niente,
Morte la gettò nell'erba
e toccò il suo giovane cuore,
là giacque, con paura e dolore,
la tenera, delicata, fanciulla.

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Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2012 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) DUT ENG FRE
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Johannes Brahms. Go to the text.

Text added to the website: 2012-08-13.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:05:01
Line count: 28
Word count: 139