Fünf Blumenlieder

Translations © by Bertram Kottmann

Song Cycle by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976)

View original-language texts alone: Five Flower Songs

1. To daffodils
 (Sung text)
Language: English 
Fair daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
Stay, stay
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the evensong,
And, having pray'd together, we	
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die,
As your hours do, and dry
Away,
Like to the summer's rain,
Or as the pearls of morning's dew,
Ne'er to be found again.

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by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
1. An Narzissen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Narzissen schön, wie weinen wir,
wenn allzu früh ihr weicht;
noch eh' die frühe Morgensonn'
den Mittag hat erreicht.
Bleibt, weilt,
wenn auch der Tag enteilt
und schon
die Abendglocken gehn;
bleibt bis nach unserm Beten wir
gemeinsam mit euch gehn.

Wie euch bleibt uns nur kurze Zeit,
auch unser Lenz - rasch hin;
so schnell wir werden, welken wir,
wie ihr und alles Ding.
Wir gehn
wie ihr dahin, verwehn
wie ihr,
- flüchtig wie Regen, Wind
oder des Frühtaus Perlenkleid -
nicht mehr zu finden sind.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2013 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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This text was added to the website: 2013-06-01
Line count: 20
Word count: 85

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
2. The succession of the four sweet months
 (Sung text)
Language: English 
First, April, she with mellow showers
Opens the way for early flowers,
Then after her comes smiling May
In a more rich and sweet array,
Next enters June and brings us more
Gems than those two that went before,
Then (lastly,) July comes and she
More wealth brings in than all those three;
April! May! June! July!

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by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
2.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Die Folge der vier lieblichen Monate
April mit seinen milden Regen
bringt ersten Blumen reichen Segen;
hernach kommt lächelnd Monat Mai
in prächtigerem Schmuck herbei;
Mehr Edelsteine denn zuvor
bringt Monat Juni uns hervor;
zu guter Letzt schafft der Julai
mehr Reichtum noch als all die drei.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2013 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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This text was added to the website: 2013-06-28
Line count: 9
Word count: 47

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
3. Marsh flowers
 (Sung text)
Language: English 
Here the strong mallow strikes her slimy root,
Here the dull night-shade hangs her deadly fruit;

On hills of dust the henbane's faded green,
And pencill'd flower of sickly scent is seen;

Here on its wiry stem, in rigid bloom,
Grows the salt lavender that lacks perfume.

At the wall's base the fiery nettle springs,
With fruit globose and fierce with poison'd stings;

In every chink delights the fern to grow,
With glossy leaf and tawny bloom below:

The few dull flowers that o'er the place are spread
Partake the nature of their fenny bed.

These, with our sea-weeds, rolling up and down,
Form the contracted Flora of our town.

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by George Crabbe (1754 - 1832)
3. Marschblumen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Hier senkt der Eibisch seine schleim’gen Wurzeln ab, 
hier reift des Wasserfenchels Frucht - sie führt ins Grab;

Auf staub’gen Hügeln man das Bilsenkraut erblickt,
dess’ welke Blüt’ noch einen schwachen Duft ausschickt; 

auf draht’gem Stil die Blüt des Halligflieders steht,
von der kein eigner Blütenduft ausgeht. 

Am Mauersockel man die Brennnessel antrifft,
kugligen Blütenstands und Brennhaar voller Gift;

Spalten und Ritzen gern der Farn zum Standort hat,
sein Nährblatt, glänzend grün, und braun sein Sporenblatt:

In den paar simplen Blumen, die an diesem Ort,
pflanzt sich das Wesen dieses Marschlands fort.

Sie wogen wie das Seegras, das sich hebt und senkt
und sind, worauf sich unsres Ortes Pflanzenreich beschränkt.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2020 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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This text was added to the website: 2020-02-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 110

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
4. The evening primrose
 (Sung text)
Language: English 
When once the sun sinks in the west,
And dew-drops pearl the Evening's breast;
Almost as pale as moonbeams are,
Or its companionable star,
The Evening Primrose opes anew
Its delicate blossoms to the dew;
And hermit-like, shunning the light,
Wastes its fair bloom upon the Night;
Who, blindfold to its fond caresses,
Knows not the beauty he possesses.
Thus it blooms on while Night is by;
When Day looks out with open eye,
'Bashed at the gaze it cannot shun,
It faints, and withers, and is gone.

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by John Clare (1793 - 1864)
4. Nachtkerzen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Sobald die Sonn' im West versinkt,
und Tau auf Abendfluren blinkt,
bleich wie das Mondlicht aus der Fern
oder ein beigesellter Stern
tun sich aufs Neu dem Abendtau
zarte Nachtkerzenblüten auf;
Einsiedlern gleich scheu'n sie das Licht,
gönnen dem Tag ihr Blühen nicht.
Die Nacht, blind ihren zarten Küssen,
wird nie von ihrer Schönheit wissen.
So blühn sie bis ans End' der Nacht.
Wenn dann der neue Tag erwacht
verblühn sie, ziehen sich zurück,
sobald das Licht trifft ihren Blick.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2013 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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This text was added to the website: 2013-06-16
Line count: 14
Word count: 80

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
5. The Ballad of Green Broom
 (Sung text)
Language: English 
There was an old man lived out in the wood,
And his trade was a-cutting of broom, green broom,
He had but one son without thought without good
Who lay in his bed till 't was noon, bright noon.

The old man awoke one morning and spoke,
He swore he would fire the room, that room,
If his John would not rise and open his eyes,
And away to the wood to cut broom, green broom.

So Johnny arose and slipp'd on his clothes
And away to the wood to cut broom, green broom,
He sharpen'd his knives, and for once he contrives
To cut a great bundle of broom, green broom.

When Johnny pass'd under a Lady's fine house,
Pass'd under a Lady's fine room, fine room,
She call'd to her maid: "Go fetch me," she said,
"Go fetch me the boy that sells broom, green broom!"

When Johnny came into the Lady's fine house,
And stood in the Lady's fine room, fine room,
"Young Johnny" she said, "Will you give up your trade
And marry a lady in bloom, full bloom?"

Johnny gave his consent, and to church they both went,
And he wedded the Lady in bloom, full bloom;
At market and fair, all folks do declare,
There's none like the Boy that sold broom, green broom.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
5. Die Ballade vom Besenginster
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Einst lebte ein alter Mann draußen im Wald,
schnitt täglich den Ginster mit Emsigkeit,
sein einz'ger Sohn trug nichts bei zum Unterhalt
lag täglich im Bett bis zur Mittagszeit.

Ein’s Morgens erwachte der Alte und sprach
ich schwöre, dem Burschen heize ich ein,
wenn er nicht wird künftig beizeiten wach
und auch schneidet Ginster tagaus und tagein.

So stand Johnny auf, zog sich an gleich darauf
und eilte zum Ginsterbusch in den Wald
er wetzte sein Messer, auf dass es schneid' besser
ein großes Bündel Ginster im Wald.

Als er zog am Haus einer Dame vorbei,
am Zimmer der Dame vorbei im Lauf,
rief sie ihre Magd: Hol den Burschen herbei,
den Burschen, der den Ginster verkauft!“

Als Johnny ins Haus der Schönen eintrat
und weiter ins Zimmer der Schönen geht,
sprach sie: „Lass den Ginster sein, so mein Rat
und nimm dir ’ne Frau, die in Blüte steht!“

John willigte ein, zur Kirch’ ging’s zu zwein,
er schritt mit der Schönen zum Traualtar.
Auf Jahrmarkt und Messen gab man zum besten:
’s ist keiner wie der Bursch, der im Ginster war.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2020 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:

Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2020-02-26
Line count: 24
Word count: 182

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann