Springtime in old age | When the birdlets are singing in the green woods

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by Ernst Moritz Arndt (1769 - 1860)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Frühling im Alter

(Sung text for setting by C. Reinthaler)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Singen die Vöglein im grünen Wald,
Klingen die Bächlein bergunter,
Lockt es das Alter mit Lustgewalt,
Klopfet das Herz ihm so munter:
Denket der Wonne verschiedener Lenze,
Denket der Jugend, denket der Tänze,
Fallen auch Thränen herunter.

  Singet und klinget! das Heute ist mein,
Heut will ich singen und klingen
Lustig mit spielenden Kindern feldein,
Fröhlich mit fröhlichen Dingen,
Will mir bekränzen die Locken, die greisen:
Bald muß ich wandern, bald muss ich reisen,
Wo mir die Vögel nicht singen.

Composition:

Carl Martin Reinthaler

Text Authorship:

by Ernst Moritz Arndt (1769 - 1860), "Frühling im Alter", subtitle: "1841", written 1841

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Springtime in old age", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2014-07-21
Line count: 14
Word count: 86

Springtime in old age

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Reinthaler)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  When the birdlets are singing in the green woods,
When the brooklets are resounding as the flow down the mountain,
With the power of joy old age is enticed,
The heart beats so spiritedly:
Thinks of the bliss of various springtimes,
Thinks of his youth, thinks of the dances,
Even though tears fall.

  Sing and resound! today is mine,
Today I wish to sing and ring out
Merrily with playing children in the fields,
Happy with happy things,
I shall place a wreath upon my curls, the ancient ones:
Soon I must wander, soon I must travel,
There where the birds do not sing for me.

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 Ernst Moritz Arndt (1769 - 1860), "Frühling im Alter", subtitle: "1841", written 1841
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This text was added to the website: 2026-01-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 116