The butterfly is in love with the rose

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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Schmetterling ist in die Rose...

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Der Schmetterling ist in die Rose verliebt,
Umflattert sie tausendmal,
Ihn selber aber goldig zart
Umflattert der liebende Sonnenstrahl.

Jedoch, in wen ist die Rose verliebt?
Das wüßt' ich gar zu gern.
Ist es die singende Nachtigall?
Ist es der schweigende Abendstern?

Ich weiß nicht, in wen die Rose verliebt;
Ich aber lieb' euch all:
Rose, Schmetterling, Sonnenstrahl,
Abendstern und Nachtigall.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• A. Goldschmidt • J. Lang • C. Stanford • A. Urspruch

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Confirmed with: Heinrich Heine’s sämtliche Werke in vier Bänden, herausgegeben von Otto F. Lachmann, Erster Band, Leipzig: Druck und Verlag von Philipp Reclam jun, [1887], page 241.

Text Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Neuer Frühling, no. 7 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Ted Perry , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 73

The butterfly is in love with the rose

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Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The butterfly is in love with the rose,
Flutters about the rose a thousand times,
About the butterfly with golden tenderness
Flutters the loving sunbeam.

However, with whom is the rose in love?
That I would very much like to know.
Is it with the singing nightingale?
Is it with the silent evening star?

I do not know with whom the rose is in love;
But I, I love you all:
Rose, butterfly, sunbeam,
Evening star and nightingale.

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Translated titles:
"Alles liebet" = "Everything loves"
"Aus Heine's Neue Gedichte" = "From Heine’s new poems"
"Der Schmetterling" = "The butterfly"
"Der Schmetterling ist in die Rose verliebt = "The butterfly is in love with the rose"
"Frühlingslied" = "Spring song"
"Rosenlied" = "Rose song"
"Wenn ich liebe" = "When I love"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 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 Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Neuer Frühling, no. 7
- Go to the text page.

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This text was added to the website: 2006-12-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 84