by Friedrich Hermann Frey (1839 - 1911), as Martin Greif

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Am Barbaratage holt' ich
Drei Zweiglein vom Kirschenbaum,
Die setzt' ich in eine Schale:
Drei Wünsche sprach ich im Traum.

Der erste, daß einer mich werbe,
Der zweite, daß er noch jung,
Der dritte, daß er auch habe
Des Geldes wohl genung.

Weihnachten vor der Metten
Zwei Stöcklein blühten zur Frist; --
Ich weiß einen armen Gesellen,
Den nähm' ich, wie er ist.

Note (provided by Johann Winkler): On Santa Barbara's day (December 4th), the custom in parts of Germany and Austria was to cut small branches from cherry trees and put them into water; if they blossomed on Christmas eve (as they usually did), that would be considered a good omen for the following year; unwed young women especially might identify different branches with eligible young men and expect the one whose branch blossomed first to marry them the following year.

Composition:

    Set to music by Clara Faisst (1872 - 1948), "Am Barbaratage", published [1896] [ voice and piano ], Neu-Ruppin, Karl Michaëlis

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2004-05-09
Line count: 12
Word count: 63