O süßer Mai,
Der Strom ist frei,
Ich steh verschlossen,
Mein Aug' verdrossen,
Ich seh nicht deine grüne Tracht,
Nicht deine buntgeblümte Pracht,
Nicht dein Himmelblau,
Zur Erd' ich schau;
O süßer Mai,
Mich lasse frei,
Wie den Gesang
An den dunklen Hecken entlang.
Composition:
Set to music by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "O süßer Mai", op. 93a no. 3 (1883?), published 1884 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], Berlin, Simrock
Text Authorship:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "O zoete mei", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "O sweet May", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ô doux moi de Mai", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 46
O sweet May,
streaming freely,
I stand close-mouthed,
my eyes querulous.
I see neither your green array,
your colorfully blossoming splendour,
nor your blue skies;
to the earth I gaze.
O sweet May,
release me
like a song
along the dark hedge.
