Du nennst mich -- armes Mädchen;
Du irrst, ich bin nicht arm.
Entreiss dich, Neugier halber,
Einmal des Schlafes Arm,

Und schau' mein niedres Hüttchen,
Wenn sich die Sonne hold
Am Morgenhimmel hebet:
Sein Dach ist reines Gold!

Komm' Abends, wann die Sonne
Bereits zum Meere sinkt,
Und sieh' mein einzig Fenster,
Wie's von Topasen blinkt!

Note: at the top of the Schumann score is the following text: "Es wurde ihr wohl von unverständigen Kindern ihre Armuth manchmal vorgeworfen; das folgende Lied ist eine Antwort darauf."

Text Authorship:

• by Elisabeth Kulmann (1808 - 1825), "Du nennst mich armes Mädchen", appears in Gemäldesammlung in vierundzwanzig Sälen, in 3. Dritter Saal, no. 21, first published 1819 [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 Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Du nennst mich armes Mädchen", op. 104 no. 3 (1851), published 1851 [ voice and piano ], from Sieben Lieder von Elisabeth Kulmann zur Erinnerung an die Dichterin, no. 3, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Tu em dius pobra noia", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Je noemt mij 'arm lief meisje'", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "You call me "poor girl"", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Tu m'as appelée "Pauvre fille"", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Tu me qualifies de pauvre fille ", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 55

You call me "poor girl";
You're wrong - I am not poor.
Why don't you, out of curiosity, tear yourself
From the arms of sleep,
 
And see my lowly hut,
When in beauty the sun
Rises in the morning sky:
Its roof is pure gold!
 
Come in the evening, when the sun
Is already sinking into the sea,
And see my only window,
How it sparkles with topaz jewels!