by Gustav Pfarrius (1800 - 1884)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Mein Lieb' ist das Bächlein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG
  Mein Lieb' ist das Bächlein,
Das Bächlein im Wald,
Es sprudelt durch Schatten
[Durch]1 Sonnenschein bald;

  Und schau' ich vom Ufer 
In's Wasser hinein, 
Kein Spiegel kann klarer, 
Kann reiner nicht sein; 

  Steh' fern ich am Hügel, 
Winkt's immer noch hold,
Blitzt hell durch die Büsche,
Wie Silber und Gold;

  Und wird's meinem Auge 
Vom Laub noch verhüllt, 
So hör' ich wie's [drunter]2
Seinen Eimer noch füllt;

  Dann tönt's aus dem Dunkel 
So treu an mein Ohr, 
Und plaudert von Sehnsucht 
Und Heimweh mir vor.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Deutsche Dichterhalle des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts, von Dr. J. Schenkel. Nach dessen Tode neu bearbeitet und vermehrt von Dr. F.C. Paldamus, Zweiter Band, Mainz: Verlag von C.F. Kunze, 1856, page 469

1 Vagedes: "Und"
2 Vagedes: "drunten"

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • ENG English (John H. Campbell) , "The brooklet is my devotion", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "My love is the brooklet", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: John H. Campbell , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 85

My love is the brooklet
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
  My love is the brooklet,
The brooklet in the forest;
It bubbles now through shadows,
[Now]1 through sunshine;

  And when from the bank
I gaze into the water,
No mirror could be more clear,
Could be more pure;

  When I stand far away by the hill,
I still see it beckoning beautifully,
Through the bushes it flashes brightly
Like silver and gold;

  And even when leaves
Conceal it from my eyes,
I hear how [under the leaves]2
It is still filling its bucket;

  Then from the darkness its sounds
Come to my ear so faithfully,
And prattle to me of yearning
And of homesickness.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Vagedes: "And now"
2 Vagedes: "down below"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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.
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This text was added to the website: 2017-07-01
Line count: 20
Word count: 104