The cuckoo | The forest is still, the forest is mute

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by Hermann Löns (1866 - 1914)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Kuckuck

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Der Wald ist still, der Wald ist stumm,
Es bebt kein Blatt, es nickt kein Zweig,
Ein Vogelruf von ferne schallt,
So voll und rund, so warm und weich.

Das ist der Kuckuck, der da ruft,
So laut, so laut im tiefen Wald,
An meine Schulter drängst du dich,
Und deine Hand sucht bei mir Halt.

Du bist so still, du bist so stumm,
Ich höre deines Herzens Schlag,
Du hältst den Atem an und zählst,
Wie oft der Kuckuck rufen mag.

Ich lächle deiner Kinderangst,
Du meine süße Wonne du,
Es blüht uns noch so mancher Mai,
Der Kuckuck ruft ja immerzu.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Löns (1866 - 1914), "Der Kuckuck", appears in Mein goldenes Buch, first published 1901 [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 Paul Hermann Franz Graener (1872 - 1944), "Der Kuckuck", op. 71 no. 7, published 1925, from Löns-Lieder, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The cuckoo", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-12-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 103

The cuckoo

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The forest is still, the forest is mute,
No leaf trembles, no branch nods. 
A birdcall sounds from afar,
So full and round, so warm and soft.

It is the cuckoo who is calling,
So loudly, so loudly in the deep forest. 
You press yourself against my shoulder
And your hand seeks my support.

You are so still, you are so mute,
I can hear your heart beating. 
You hold your breath and count
How often the cuckoo calls.

I laugh at your childish fear,
You, my sweet joy, you!
Many a May shall still bloom for us!
For the cuckoo calls continuously.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2008 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 Hermann Löns (1866 - 1914), "Der Kuckuck", appears in Mein goldenes Buch, first published 1901
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2008-12-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 103