Wenn ich ein Voglein wär
 (Sung text for setting by J. Brahms)
 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 kann seyn,
Bleib' ich allhier.

  Bin ich gleich weit von dir,
Bin ich doch im Schlaf bey dir,
Und red' mit dir:
Wenn ich erwachen thu',
Bin ich allein.

  Es vergeht kein' Stund'  in der Nacht,
Da mein Herze nicht erwacht,
Und an dich gedenkt,
Daß du mir viel tausendmal 
Dein Herz geschenkt.

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:

    Set to music by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Wenn ich ein Voglein wär", published 1970 [ women's chorus ], in Volksliedbearbeitungen für Frauenchor, edited by Siegmund Helms

Text Authorship:

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