My mother says: "Upon bush and leaf

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Mutter spricht: "Auf Busch und Blatt

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Die Mutter spricht: "Auf Busch und Blatt
Liegt still die Thränensaat,
Und wer sich früh dem Walde naht,
Wenn noch kein Licht geleuchtet hat,
Den grüßt das gleißende Geschmeid'
Und bringt ihm eitel Noth und Leid."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
Weh meiner jungen Seel' . . .
Die Sehnsucht trieb mich aus dem Haus
Schon lang vor Tag zum Wald hinaus --
Die Buchen standen rings umher
So maiengrün, so schlummerschwer . . .
Sie wisperten so wunderlich
Und streuten Thränen über mich --
Da ward mein weißes Kleidchen naß!
Weh meiner jungen Seel' . . .

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, Fünfte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1900, page 78.

Text Authorship:

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Thränenzauber", appears in Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, in 4. Fremdes Leben, no. 5 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Marie Charlotte Henriette von Kehler (1822 - 1882), "Thränensegen", op. 18 (Sechs Lieder für 1 tiefe Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 4, published 1900 [ low voice and piano ], Kassel, Kramer-Bangert [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2015-02-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 91

My mother says: "Upon bush and leaf

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

My mother says: "Upon bush and leaf
A seeding of tears rests quietly,
And those who approach the woods in the early morning,
When no light has yet shone,
Shall be greeted by the glittering adornment,
And it shall bring them nothing but misery and suffering."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
Woe unto my young soul . . .
Long before daybreak, yearning drove me 
From the house out to the woods --
The beeches stood round about,
So green in their May-leaves, so laden with slumber . . .
They whispered so wondrously
And strewed tears upon me --
My little white dress got wet!
Woe unto my young soul . . .

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Thränensegen" = "The blessing of tears"
"Thränenzauber" = "Tear magic"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Thränenzauber", appears in Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, in 4. Fremdes Leben, no. 5
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2024-01-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 107