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Unbeachtet, tief im Wald,
Wärest du verblühet bald,
Schöne Blume, so wunderlicht,
Wäre zu dir ich gekommen nicht.
Ei, wie versteh'n wir uns, du und ich,
Grüßen wir uns herzinniglich.
Unbekannt und vergessen gleich mir
Mußtest du blühen,
Duften und glühen,
Sah die Welt auch nicht nach dir.
Ungesehen, tief im Wald,
Wärest du entschwebet bald,
Falter, hätt' in der grünen Nacht
Ich nicht erspäht deine Zauberpracht.
Weiß wohl, warum du so nahe ganz
Zeigest mir deiner Flügel Glanz!
Unbekannt und vergessen gleich mir
Mußtest dein Leben
Hold du durchschweben,
Sah die Welt auch nicht nach dir.
Ungehöret, tief im Wald,
Wärest du verflogen bald,
Hätt' ich nicht deines Lieds Getön',
Vöglein, erlauscht o wie schön, wie schön!
Weiß wohl, warum dein wonniger Gruß
So durch das Herz mir schallen muß!
Unbekannt und vergessen gleich mir
Mußtest du singen,
Ließest du's klingen,
Sah die Welt auch nicht nach dir.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 83-84.
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Tief im Wald", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 93 [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 Eduard Beez (1828 - 1893) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Aloys Theodor Commer (1813 - 1887), "Tief im Wald", op. 65 (Zwanzig Lieder für Fr. Oser, für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein'sche Buchhandlung [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich Fiby (1834 - 1917), "Tief im Wald", op. 15 (Zwei Männerchöre) no. 1, published 1882 [ men's chorus with tenor solo ], Wien: Buchholz & Diebel Sort. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard Guth (b. 1821) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert von Hornstein (1833 - 1890) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adolf Müller, jun. (1839 - 1901) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Tief im Wald" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Friedrich Hermann Reiser (1839 - 1879) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Schnabel (1809 - 1881) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl von Sichart (b. 1838) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Heinrich August Siemers (1819 - 1876), "Unbeachtet tief im Wald", op. 43 no. 5, published 1868 [ ttbb chorus ], Leipzig: Schuberth u. Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ludwig Stark (1831 - 1884) [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) , "Deep in the forest", 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: 2022-10-24
Line count: 30
Word count: 150
Unheeded, deep in the forest,
You would soon have faded,
Lovely flower, so wondrously bright,
If I had not come to you.
Ah, how we understand each other, you and I,
[How we] greet each other fervently.
Unknown and forgotten like me,
You had to bloom,
Emit your scent, and glow,
Though the world paid no attention to you.
Unseen, deep in the forest,
You would soon have wafted away,
Moth, if in the green night
I had not espied your magical splendour.
I know well why you, from so close, reveal to me
The radiance of your wings.
Unknown and forgotten like me,
You had to waft beautifully
Through your life,
Though the world paid no attention to you.
Unheard, deep in the forest,
You soon would have vanished,
If I had not caught the sound of your song,
Birdlet, oh how beautiful, how beautiful!
I know well why your blissful greeting
Must thus resound through my heart!
Unknown and forgotten like me,
You had to sing,
You let your song ring out,
Though the world paid no attention to you.
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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Tief im Wald", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 93
This text was added to the website: 2025-07-03
Line count: 30
Word count: 183