Beautiful is the first green of the woods

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Schön ist das erste Grün in dem Walde

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Schön ist das erste Grün in dem Walde,
Lieblich der Büsche Blühn an der Halde;
  Giengest du mit, o wie wär' es doch
Tausend, tausend Mal schöner noch!

  Schön ist der Vögel wonniger Reigen,
Lieblich die Luft in den sonnigen Zweigen;
  Aber nicht strahlt mir dein Auge zurück,
Selig lächelnd des Frühlings Glück!

  Schön wohl und lieblich ist Alles zu schauen,
Könnt' ich mit dir nur durchwallen die Auen;
  Komm denn, ach komm, eh die Blüthen verwehn,
Bald muss der Frühling, der holde, vergehn!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• B. Randhartinger

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Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 191-192.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Schön ist das erste Grün in dem Walde", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 217 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2022-07-15
Line count: 12
Word count: 88

Beautiful is the first green of the...

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Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Beautiful is the first green of the woods
Lovely the blossoming of the bushes at the acclivity;
  If you were walking with me, oh how it would be
Yet a thousand, thousand times more beautiful!

  Beautiful is the delightful roundelay of the birds,
Lovely the air in the sunny branches;
  But your eyes, blissfully smiling, are not 
Reflecting the happiness of springtime to me!

  Beautiful, to be sure, and lovely is everything to look upon,
If I could only be rambling through the meadows with you;
  Come then, ah come, before the blossoms are scattered,
Soon springtime, lovely springtime, must pass away!

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Translations of titles:
"Schön ist das erste Grün" = "Beautiful is the first green"
"Schön ist das erste Grün im Walde" = "Beautiful is the first green of the woods"
"Schön ist das erste Grün in dem Walde" = "Beautiful is the first green of the woods"

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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Schön ist das erste Grün in dem Walde", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 217
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This text was added to the website: 2026-04-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 105