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by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Schnurre, schnurre, meine Spindel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Schnurre, schnurre, meine Spindel,
Dreh' dich ohne Rast und Ruh'!
Totenhemd und Kinderwindel
Und das Brautbett rüstest du.

Goldner Faden, kann nicht sagen,
Welch ein Schicksal dir bestimmt,
Ob mit Freuden, ob mit Klagen
Das Gespinst ein Ende nimmt.

Anders wird's, als wir's begonnen,
Anders kommt's als wir gehofft;
Was zur Hochzeit war gesponnen,
Ward zum Leichentuch schon oft.

Schnurre, Spindel, schnurre leise,
Rund ist wie dein Rad das Glück;
Gehst du selig auf die Reise,
Kehrst du weinend wohl zurück.

In die Wolken geht die Sonne,
Schnell verweht im Wind ein Wort;
Wie der Faden rollt die Wonne
Rollen Lieb' und Treue fort.

Schnurre, Spindel, schnurr' im Kreise,
Dreh' dich ohne Rast und Ruh' -
Und ihr Tränen, fließet leise,
Fließet unaufhaltsam zu!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   W. Courvoisier •   R. von Hornstein 

W. Courvoisier sets stanzas 1-2, 4-6

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Text Authorship:

  • by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Lied der Spinnerin", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 3. Drittes Buch, in Athen [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2010-09-26
Line count: 24
Word count: 130

Whirr, whirr, my spindle
NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Whirr, whirr, my spindle,
Turn without pause!
Burial shroud and child's diaper
And the bridal bed, you equip them all.

Golden thread, I cannot say
What fate has been determined for you,
Whether with happiness, whether with lamenting
The spun yarn shall end.

It can be different than we began it,
It can turn out differently from what he hoped;
That which was spun for a wedding
Often became a shroud.

Whirr, spindle, whirr quietly,
Happiness is as round as your wheel; 
If you blissfully set out on a journey,
You may well return weeping.

The sun goes into the clouds,
The wind quickly dissipates a word;
Like a thread, bliss rolls,
Love and faithfulness roll away.

Whirr, spindle, whirr in a circle,
Turn with out pause and rest!
And ye tears, flow quietly,
Flow unstoppably on!

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Translations of titles:
"Am Spinnrocken" = "At the distaff"
"Die Spinnerin" = "The spinning girl"
"Lied der Spinnerin" = "Song of the spinning girl"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Lied der Spinnerin", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 3. Drittes Buch, in Athen
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general view


This text was added to the website: 2026-04-21
Line count: 24
Word count: 143

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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