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Hei! das ist ein lustig Schwimmen In der Töne wildem Meer, Wenn der freien Männer Stimmen Brausen wie der Sturm einher! Laßt die Wellen kühlend schlagen Um die frohe Sängerbrust, Und euch auf- und niederjagen Recht in voller Herzenslust! In die Fluthen tauchet nieder Jauchzend bis zum tiefsten Grund! Auf! und grüßt die Sonne wieder Alle mit dem reichsten Fund! Und was euch den Muth will stören, Trüben euch den Freudenschein, Und das Herz euch will bethören: Lachend werft's in's Meer hinein! Hei! das ist ein lustig Schwimmen In der Töne wildem Meer, Wenn der freien Männer Stimmen Brausen wie der Sturm einher! Laßt die Wellen kühlend schlagen Um die frohe Sängerbrust, Und euch auf und niederjagen Recht in voller Herzenslust!
Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 316.
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Männergesang", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 341 [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Männergesang", op. 364b (13 Lieder und Gesänge für Männerchor) no. 1, published 1869 [ men's chorus ], Schleusingen, Glaser; note: we have added the letter 'b' to this opus because it was used earlier in the same year by a different publisher [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann (or Hans) Wilhelm Bueß (b. 1812) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Flügel (1812 - 1900) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Theodor Gaugler (1840 - 1892), "Männergesang", op. 22 no. 15, published 1876 [ ttbb chorus ], from Fünfzehn Lieder und Gesänge von Friedrich Oser zunächst für Volksgesang (vierstimmigen Männerchor), no. 15, Binningen: Kompfe [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich Grieder (1821 - 1913) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josef Häser (b. 1846) [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Karl) August Schuster (1807 - 1877) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Wolfensperger (1845 - 1906), "Männergesang", published 1873 [ ttbb chorus ], from Zehn neue Lieder für Männerchor, no. 9, Zürich: Fries [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The singing of men", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-05-14
Line count: 24
Word count: 122
Ha! that is a merry swimming
In the wild ocean of tones,
When the voices of free men
Come a-roaring like the storm!
Let the waves beat, cooling,
About the joyful singer's breast,
And let yourselves be chased up and down
Quite in the full joy of your hearts!
Dive down into the floodwaters
Rejoicingly, to the deepest depths!
Up! and greet the sun once more,
All of you, with the richest treasure trove!
And anything that wishes to disturb your spirit,
[Wishes] to dull the radiance of your joy,
And wishes to deceive your heart:
Throw it, laughing, into the sea!
Ha! that is a merry swimming
In the wild ocean of tones,
When the voices of free men
Come a-roaring like the storm!
Let the waves beat, cooling,
About the joyful singer's breast,
And let yourselves be chased up and down
Quite in the full joy of your hearts!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Männergesang", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 341
This text was added to the website: 2026-09-01
Line count: 24
Word count: 152