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 (Isador) George Henschel (1850 - 1934), "Wenn ich ein Vöglein wär", op. 24 no. 6, published 1875 [ voice and piano ], from Thüringer Waldblumen (II. Folge): Lieder im Volkston mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 6, Leipzig, Breitkopf ; confirmed with a 1905 edition published by the John Church Company in Cincinnati titled George Henschel: Fifty Songs, pages 67-68

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: 71