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English translations of Zwei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, opus 54

by Wilhelm Karl Friedrich Fitzenhagen (1848 - 1890)

1. Das erste Lied  [sung text not yet checked]
by Wilhelm Karl Friedrich Fitzenhagen (1848 - 1890), "Das erste Lied", op. 54 (Zwei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1890 [ mezzo-soprano or tenor and piano ], Berlin, Fr. Luckhardt
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Wer hat das erste Lied erdacht,
  Das in die Lüfte scholl?
Der Frühling fand's in lauer Nacht,
  Das Herz [von]1 Wonne voll;
Er sang es früh im Fliederbaum
  Und schlug den [Tact]2 dazu:
"O Maienzeit, o Liebestraum,
  Was ist so süß wie Du?"

Da kamen Mück' und Käferlein,
  Waldvöglein [sonder]3 Zahl;
[Die]4 übten [sich die Weise]5 ein,
  Wohl an die tausend Mal.
Sie trugen's durch den Himmelsraum
  Und durch die Waldesruh:
"O Maienzeit, o Liebestraum,
  Was ist so süß wie Du?"

Mir sang's am Bach die Nachtigall,
  Da ward mir wonnig weh;
Nun folgt das Lied mir überall
  Durch [Duft]6 und Blütenschnee.
Ich pflück' den Zweig vom Fliederbaum
  Und sing' es immerzu:
"O Maienzeit, o Liebestraum,
  Was ist so süß wie Du?"

Text Authorship:

  • by Victor August Eberhard Blüthgen (1844 - 1920), "Das erste Lied"

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Confirmed with Die Gartenlaube. Illustrirtes Familienblatt, Band XXVII, Nr. 23 (1879), page 386.

1 Weidt: "vor"
2 Abt, Busoni: "Takt"
3 Abt: "ohne"
4 Busoni: "Sie"
5 Weidt: "ihre Weisen"
6 Busoni: "Luft"

by Victor August Eberhard Blüthgen (1844 - 1920)
1. Who invented the first song
Language: English 
Who devised the first song,
that into the air did resound?
Spring found it in the balmy night,
filling hearts with joy.
He sang it first in the lilacs
and the rhythm puls'd to it:
O May!  the time of love-dreams,
what is as sweet as you!

Then, little gnats and beetles came,
Forest birds marked the tune,
they practiced the style,
and by thousandfold;
they carried it thru' the heavens
and in all the forest is peace:
O Maytime joy, o time of love-dreams,
what is as sweet as you!

The nightingale sang to me by the brook,
and a sweet sadness o'er came me!
Now, the song follows me everywhere
through the air and snow-white blooms.
From the lilacs I gather a bouquet
and I always sing:
O Maytime, o time of love-dreams,
what is as sweet as you!
what is as sweet as you!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell, (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 Victor August Eberhard Blüthgen (1844 - 1920), "Das erste Lied"
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 25
Word count: 147

Translation © by John H. Campbell
2. Waldesruhe
by Wilhelm Karl Friedrich Fitzenhagen (1848 - 1890), "Waldesruhe", op. 54 (Zwei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 2, published 1890 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Berlin, Fr. Luckhardt
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Leise rauscht es durch die Bäume
 . . . . . . . . . .

— The rest of this text is not
currently in the database but will be
added as soon as we obtain it. —

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
2.
[Translation not yet available]
Gentle Reminder

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