The mother at the cradle | Sleep, sweet boy, sweetly and mildly

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by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Schlaf, süßer Knabe, süß und mild!

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Schlaf, süßer Knabe, süß und mild!
  Du deines Vaters Ebenbild!
Das bist du; zwar dein Vater spricht,
  Du habest seine Nase nicht.

Nur eben itzo war er hier,
  Und sah dir in's Gesicht,
Und sprach: "Viel hat er zwar von mir,
  Doch meine Nase hat er nicht."

Mich dünkt es selbst, sie ist zu klein,
  Doch muß es seine Nase sein;
Denn wenn's nicht seine Nase wär',
  Wo hätt'st du denn die Nase her?

Schlaf, Knabe, was dein Vater spricht,
  Spricht er wohl im Scherz;
Hab' immer seine Nase nicht
  Und habe nur sein Herz!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• L. Blech • J. Kraus • C. Loewe

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Text Authorship:

by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Die Mutter bei der Wiege" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Researcher for this page: Peter Donderwinkel

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 98

The mother at the cradle

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Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Sleep, sweet boy, sweetly and mildly,
  You, the very image of your father. 
That's what you are, although your father
  Says you do not have his nose.

He was only just here
  And looked into your face
And said:  "He has a lot of my characteristics,
  But he does not have my nose!"

Well, I think it is a little small myself,
  Yet it must be his nose,
For if it weren't his nose,
  Where on earth would you have gotten it?

Sleep, little boy, what you father says
  He's probably saying only in jest. 
Don't worry about having his nose,
  Just have his good heart!

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Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2008 by Sharon Krebs, (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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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Die Mutter bei der Wiege"
- Go to the text page.

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This text was added to the website: 2008-09-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 107