If I were a little bird | If I were a little bird

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from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

Translation © by David K. Smythe

Wenn ich ein Vöglein wär'

(Sung text for setting by C. Greith)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE IRI ITA POR

  Wenn ich ein Vöglein wär',
Und auch zwey Flüglein hätt',
Flög' ich zu dir;
Weil's aber nicht so ist,
Bleib' ich allhier.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanza 1 of the original text.

Modern spelling would change "zwey" to "zwei", "seyn" to "sein", "bey" to "bei", "thu" to "tu", etc.

Note: the first stanza is quoted by Treitschke in a text set by Beethoven, Ruf vom Berge, WoO. 147

Composition:

(Emil Franz) Carl Greith

Text Authorship:

from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Der Flug der Liebe", Rheinisch

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Als ik een vogel was", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (David K. Smythe) , "If I were a little bird", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Si j'étais un petit oiseau", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Giulio Cesare Barozzi) , "Foss'io un uccellino", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
POR Portuguese (Português) (Margarida Moreno) , "Se eu fosse um passarinho", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Auditorium du Louvre , Lau Kanen [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 82

If I were a little bird

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Greith)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

 If I were a little bird
 and also had two little wings
 I would fly to you.
 But because that cannot be,
 I remain just here.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanza 1 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by David K. Smythe, (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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Der Flug der Liebe", Rheinisch
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 81