What are you singing in the branches

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by (Carl Friedrich) Julius Altmann (1814 - 1873)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Was singst du in den Zweigen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Was singst du in den Zweigen,
O Vöglein, ohne Ruh?
Es klingt dein Lied so eigen,
Sprich, warum singest du?
Von früh bis spät erklingen
Hör' ich dein helles Singen,
O Vöglein, sag', wozu?

  "Ich singe hier und dorten,
Ich singe allezeit;
Es fehlt dem Lied an Worten,
Weil mir das Herz so weit.
Frag' nicht, warum ich singe,
Nicht weiß ich's selbst. Ich singe,
Weil Singen meine Freud'.["]

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with G.W. Körner's Urania. Musik-Zeitschrift für Alle, Herausgegeben von A. W. Gottschalg, Zweiunddreißigster Jahrgang (1875), No. 9, page 185.

Text Authorship:

by (Carl Friedrich) Julius Altmann (1814 - 1873), "Vogelgesang" [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 Albert Hermann Dietrich (1829 - 1908), "Vogelgesang", op. 23 (Sechs Lieder für vierstimmigen gemischten Chor) no. 2, published 1871 [ four-part mixed chorus ], Bremen: Praeger & Meier [sung text checked 1 time]
by Carl Theodor Seiffert (1805 - 1885), "Vogelgesang", op. 3 (Sechs leichte Duette für zwei Singstimmen (auch im Chor zu singen) mit Pianoforte ad lib), Heft 1 no. 2, published 1883 [ vocal duet for soprano and alto or sa chorus with piano ], Bremen: Haake [sung text not yet checked]
by Oskar Zehrfeld (b. 1854), "Vogelsang", op. 14 (Fünf Lieder für Männerchor) no. 3, published 1887 [ men's chorus ], Dresden, Näumann [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2024-03-22
Line count: 14
Word count: 70

What are you singing in the branches

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  What are you singing in the branches,
Oh birdlet, without pausing?
Your song sounds so distinctive,
Tell me, why do you sing?
I hear your bright singing 
Resounding from early till late,
Oh birdlet, tell me, what for [do you sing]?

  "I sing here and there,
I sing all the time;
The song lacks words
Because my heart is so expansive.
Do not ask why I sing,
I do not even know myself: I sing
Because singing is my joy.["]

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"Vogelgesang" = "Birdsong"
"Vogelsang" = "Birdsong"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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 (Carl Friedrich) Julius Altmann (1814 - 1873), "Vogelgesang"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-02-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 81