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[Frühlingsbote,]1 Schmetterling! Sanft wie Zephirs lindes Wehen[,] Schmeichelnd wie der Liebe Flehen, Flatterst du mit leichtem Sinn Durch die Blumenwelt dahin. [Frühlingsbote,]1 Schmetterling! Mit des Schmeichelns süßem Kosen Gaukelst du um junge Rosen, Wendest dann mit Männersinn, Dich zu andern [Blümchen]2 hin. [Frühlingsbote,]1 Schmetterling! Ist dein ganzes Leben Scherz? Fesselt nichts dein kleines Herz? -- O so nenne nicht die Triebe Deiner Flatterseele: "Liebe." [Frühlingsbote,]1 Schmetterling! Bunter Wechsel scheint dein Ziel[,] Aber grausam ist [dies]3 Spiel. Ach, ein Schmetterling, wie du, Nahm mir tändelnd meine Ruh.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Abend-Zeitung, Band 4 (11. Februar 1818), Nro. 35, [no page number].
1 Lang: "Frühlingsbothe!"2 Lang: "Blumen"
3 Lang: "das"
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author ( E.S. ) , "Fanny an einen Schmetterling" [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 Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Schmetterling", op. 8 (3 Lieder) no. 1, published 1838 [ voice and piano ], Wien: Tobias Haslinger [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Carl, Freiherr von Seckendorff (flourished c1819), "Fanny an einen Schmetterling", published [1819] [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Lieder mit Begleitung des Pianoforte in Musik gesetzt und seiner Schwester gewidmet von Carl von Seckendorff, no. 6, Leipzig: Bey Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) (Harald Krebs) , copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2006-11-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 91
[Harbinger of spring, butterfly!]1 Soft as the gentle breath of Zephyr, Flattering as the pleading of love, You flutter with a light heart Through the world of flowers. [Harbinger of spring, butterfly!]1 With the sweet caress of flattery You flit about the young roses, Then you turn, in the manner of a man, Toward other [little flowers.]2 [Harbinger of spring, butterfly!]1 If your whole life is a jest? If nothing can bind your little heart? -- Oh, then do not call the urges Of your fluttering soul: "love." [Harbinger of spring, butterfly!]1 Colorful change seems to be your aim in life[,] But this game is cruel. Alas, a butterfly like you Carelessly deprived me of all my peace!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesTranslation of titles:
"Fanny an einen Schmetterling" = "Fanny addressing a butterfly"
"Schmetterling" = "Butterfly"
1 Lang: "Harbinger of spring! Butterfly!"
2 Lang: "flowers!"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 by Sharon Krebs and Harald 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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "Fanny an einen Schmetterling"
This text was added to the website: 2006-11-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 122