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Mein Liebster ist so klein, daß ohne Bücken Er mir das Zimmer fegt mit seinen Locken. Als er ins Gärtlein ging, Jasmin zu pflücken, Ist er vor einer Schnecke sehr erschrocken. Dann setzt' er sich ins Haus um zu verschnaufen, Da warf ihn eine Fliege übern Haufen; Und als er hintrat an mein Fensterlein, Stieß eine Bremse ihm den Schädel ein. Verwünscht sei'n alle Fliegen, Schnaken, Bremsen Und wer ein Schätzchen hat aus den Maremmen! Verwünscht sei'n alle Fliegen, Schnaken, Mücken Und wer sich, wenn er küßt, so tief muß bücken!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Paul Heyse, Italienisches Liederbuch, Berlin: Verlag von Wilhelm Hertz (Bessersche Buchhandlung), 1860, page 16.
Text Authorship:
- by Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914), no title, appears in Italienisches Liederbuch, in Rispetti, in Toscanisch, no. 34, first published 1860 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "E lo mio damo è tanto piccolino", appears in Canti popolari toscani. Raccolti e annotati da Giuseppe Tigri, Firenze, Barbera, first published 1856
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), no title, 1890-6, from Italienisches Liederbuch, no. 15
Score: IMSLP [external link] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Donna (Bareket) Breitzer) , "My sweetheart is so small, that without stooping", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Alberto Pedrotti , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-12-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 91
My sweetheart is so small, that without stooping He sweeps the floor for me with his locks. When he went into the little garden to pick jasmine, He was very frightened by a snail. Then he went into the house to catch his breath, And a fly knocked him over in a heap; And when he stepped up to my little window, A horsefly knocked him in his skull. Cursed be all flies, gnats, and horseflies - And all who have a tiny sweetheart from Maremma! Cursed be all flies, gnats, and midges - And all who must stoop so low for a kiss!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Donna (Bareket) Breitzer, (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 Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914), no title, appears in Italienisches Liederbuch, in Rispetti, in Toscanisch, no. 34, first published 1860
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "E lo mio damo è tanto piccolino", appears in Canti popolari toscani. Raccolti e annotati da Giuseppe Tigri, Firenze, Barbera, first published 1856
This text was added to the website: 2003-12-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 102