English translations of Zwei ländliche Lieder, opus 39

And when the primrose peeks, white as snow,
Out of the meadow beside the brook,
When the cherry blossom nods
And the birds whistle in the forest at all hours:
Then the fisher mends his net in peace,
For the lake rests serenely in the sunshine;
Then the maiden searches for her shoes
And laces her bodice tightly for the dance,
And wonders silently
If her beloved will not come.

The fiddle sounds, the bass booms,
The sheriff sits in the pub drinking wine,
The dancers twirl unceasingly
[By the lime tree, by the lime tree,]1 In the evening glow.
And when they're on their way home at midnight
The fireflies light them on their way with their lanterns;
Then he kisses his girl gently
And whispers a word in her ear,
And they both think [to themselves]:
Oh you blissful, happy Maytime!

The sharp north east wind is now blowing on the heath,
From the porch hang icicles,
The firs round about are shaking from the frost,
And field and churchyard are silvery white.
In the village every pathway is snowed under,
The only discernable track leads to the pub
And if I happen to be walking there late in the evening
I enter.
Oh Kathy, my girl, now bring me wine!

Oh dear Kathy, now sing me a song
Of the sunny, joyous springtime!
And when the swallow returns again
Then you shall see how lovely it is to go a-courting.
And when the winter approaches anew,
Then we shall be bothered by neither east wind nor west wind;
By the glowing hearth we shall sit late
In the cosy nest
And kiss warmly and embrace fervently.