by
Gustav Pfarrius (1800 - 1884)
Saß ein Fink' in dunkler Hecke
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Saß ein Fink' in dunkler Hecke,
Sah der Wolke lichten Saum,
Flog heraus aus dem Verstecke
Auf den lichten Tannenbaum;
Weite Aussicht wollt' er haben
Ueber Berg und über Thal,
Und sich brüsten und sich laben
In dem goldnen Sonnenstrahl;
Kam ein Raubthier hergeflogen
Von des Felsen grauem Thurm,
Schwebte hoch in stillen Bogen,
Fuhr herab wie Wettersturm;
Hat den Finken in die Gabel
Seiner Krallen festgepackt,
Hat ihm mit gekreuztem Schnabel
Beide Aeuglein ausgehackt;
War der Jäger schnell gekommen,
Wo der Blinde zuckend lag,
Hat zur Pfleg' ihn aufgenommen,
Doch zu ihm der Finke sprach:
Kann ich nicht den Tag mehr sehen,
Den gegrüßt mein frohes Lied,
Will ich gern zu Grabe gehen;
Sprach der Finke und verschied.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Gustav Pfarrius, Die Waldlieder, Köln: Verlag der M. DuMont-Schonberg'schen Buchhandlung, 1850, page 58
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2007-09-29
Line count: 24
Word count: 119
A finch sat in a dark hedge
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
A finch sat in a dark hedge,
Saw the bright border of the cloud,
Flew out from its hiding place
Onto a bright fir tree;
It wanted to have a wide view
Over the mountain and over the valley,
And wanted to thrust out its breast and refresh itself
In the golden sunbeam;
A bird of prey came a-flying
From the grey tower of the cliff,
It soared high in a wide circle,
Plunged downward like a sudden storm;
It seized the finch tightly
In the grip of its talons,
With its crossed beak it
Pecked out both of the finch’s eyes;
The hunter came rapidly by
The place where the blind bird lay twitching,
He took it up to tend to it,
But the finch said to him:
If I can no longer see the day
That my happy song used to greet,
I gladly go to my grave;
[Thus] spoke the finch and died.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Vom armen Finken im Baumeszweig" = "About the poor finch on the branch of the tree"
"Vom Finken" = "About the finch"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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:
This text was added to the website: 2017-05-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 156