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Wie ein Vogel will ich fliegen Über Thäler, Berg' und See'n, Will mich in den Wolken wiegen, Wandern mit des Windes Weh'n; Will von Zweig zu Zweig mich schwingen Und zur hellsten Melodei Lust'ge Wanderlieder singen, Denn mein Herz ist vogelfrei! Schwarzwaldmädchen, Alpendirne, Sonngebräunte Spanierin, So umkränzet eure Stirne Frisch mit Efeu und Jasmin. Laßt beim frohen Tanz euch schwingen-- Lenz und Jugend fliehn vorbei; Will euch allen Minne singen, Denn mein Herz ist vogelfrei.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Rudolf Bunge, Heimat und Fremde: Gedichte , Leipzig: Verlag von Moritz Schäfer, 1864, page 109.
Text Authorship:
- by Rudolf Bunge (1836 - 1907), no title, subtitle: "Loin des yeux, loin du coeur", appears in Heimat und Fremde, in In der Fremde, in Lieder eines wandernden Poeten, first published 1864 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Alban Förster (1849 - 1916), "Mein Herz ist vogelfrei", op. 106 (Drei Lieder für 1 hohe Singstimme mit Pianoforte -- für 1 tiefere Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1889 [ soprano or bass and piano ], Dresden, Näumann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Machts (1846 - 1903), "Wie ein Vogel will ich fliegen", published 1882 [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Hannover: L. Oertel [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , subtitle: "Out of sight, out of mind", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Rohan Srinivasan [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2018-04-23
Line count: 16
Word count: 75
I would like to fly like a bird Over valleys, mountains, and lakes, I would like to sway in the clouds, To wander with the blowing of the wind; I would like to swing from branch to branch And, to the brightest of melodies, Sing merry wandering songs, For my heart is free as a bird! Maiden of the Black Forest, alpine girl, Sun-browned Spanish maiden, Twine, therefore, ivy and jasmine Freshly about your brows. Let yourself be twirled about in the joyful dance-- Springtime and youth fly past; I shall sing love songs to all of you, For my heart is free as a bird!
Subtitle: "Out of sight, out of mind"
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Mein Herz ist vogelfrei" = "My heart is free as a bird"
"Wie ein Vogel will ich fliegen" = "I would like to fly like a bird"
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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Rudolf Bunge (1836 - 1907), no title, subtitle: "Loin des yeux, loin du coeur", appears in Heimat und Fremde, in In der Fremde, in Lieder eines wandernden Poeten, first published 1864
This text was added to the website: 2025-03-18
Line count: 16
Word count: 106