English translations of Drei Lieder, opus 63

Little bird, fly forth,
Little bird, return again! 
Fly away to my beloved
And sit yourself down.
See what she is doing – 
If she is true to me from afar,
If she is thinking about me,
Little bird, pay attention!

Little bird, fly forth,
Little bird, return again! 
Carry to my beloved’s ear
All of my songs;
Say: “He is yours,
He can’t exist without you,
And lives only for you!”
Little bird, tell her!

Little bird, fly forth,
Little bird, return again! 
Take her love’s greeting
Upon your feathers!
If she questions you
And tells you many lovely things
Fly back quickly and bring them to me,
Little bird, be clever!

Little bird, fly forth,
Little bird, return again! 
Bring me just a tiny rose
From her bodice!
Even if only a small one,
It will be truly welcome!
Whatever my treasure gives,
Little bird, is gold to me!

Little bird, fly forth,
Little bird, return again! 
Then, rest from your flying
And sit yourself down.
Rest next to me
Feast yourself at the feeder
Refresh yourself with cool drink,
Little bird – many thanks!

At the crossroads he was buried,
the one who took his own life.
A blue flower grows there,
the Woeful-sinner's-bloom.
 
At the crossroads I stood sighing;
the night was cold and still.
The Woeful-sinner's-bloom
slowly stirred in the moonlight.

Men are faithless, you told me, mother:
He's a young rascal! 
I wouldn't believe you 
Until I had tormented myself sick.
Yes, now I know he really is, 
I'd simply misjudged him. 
You told me, mother: 
'Men are faithless!' 

Yesterday, as dusk fell silently, 
In the grove outside the village 
I heard a whispered 'Good evening!' 
And a whispered 'Many thanks!' 
I crept up and listened, 
Stood there as if transfixed: 
It was he, with another - 
'Men are faithless!'

O mother, what torture! 
It must be said, it must! 
It didn't just stop at whispering, 
It didn't just stop at greetings! 
From greetings it went to kisses,
From kisses to holding hands,
From holding hands . . . ah, dear mother, 
'Men are faithless!'