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Was blüht im Rathhausgarten, Ihr Röslein noch so frisch, Und blickt ihr voll Erwarten Hinan so träumerisch? Ist längst doch schon vermodert Die Hand, die euch begoß, Was glüht ihr doch und lodert, Und treibt ihr Schoß um Schoß? Aus niederm Bogen blicken Die Fenster trüb und blind, Und vom Gesimse nicken Nur Gräser, ach! im Wind. Kein Antlitz will sich zeigen Wie ihr so frisch und hold, Was müßt ihr doch euch neigen Gluthroth im Abendgold? Ja, Röslein, Menschentreue Verblüht und währt nicht lang, Ach! ihr nur blüht auf's neue Wie einst im selben Drang! Ach! ihr nur flüstert leise Im dufterfüllten Raum Mir zu die alte Weise, Daß Lieb' und Treu kein Traum.
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Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 372-373.
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Im Rathhausgarten", appears in Liederbuch, in 6. Romanzen, no. 396 [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 L.G. Sauer , "Im Rathausgarten", published 1893 [ ttbb chorus ], from Drei leichte Lieder für vierstimmigen Männerchor, no. 1, Frankfurt am Main: Steyl & Thomas [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "In the garden of the City Hall", 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: 2026-06-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 116
Why do you still bloom so freshly, Ye roses in the garden of the City Hall, And why, full of expectation, Do you gaze so dreamily upward? For the hand that watered you Has long mouldered away already; Why do you still glow and blaze And send forth shoot upon shoot? From out of low arches the windows Gaze forth, dreary and blind, And from the cornice, ah! Only grasses nod in the wind. No face wishes to show itself As you do, so briskly and beautifully, Why must you still incline yourself Burningly red in the evening gold? Yes, little roses, human faithfulness Fades and does not last long, Ah! only you bloom ever anew as of yore, With the same compulsion! Ah! only you whisper softly In the scent-filled expanse, [Whisper] to me the old lay That love and faithfulness are not a dream.
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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Im Rathhausgarten", appears in Liederbuch, in 6. Romanzen, no. 396
This text was added to the website: 2026-08-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 147