Springtime lament | Little clouds scud in the heights

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Frühlingsklage

(Sung text for setting by A. Holländer)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Wölklein ziehen in den Höhn, 
Schnell gejagt von lauen Lüften;
Wiesen stehn so wunderschön,
Veilchen rings im Grase düften!
  Aber fern im Haine schon,
  Horch! welch banger Klageton!

  Weiß es wohl, o Nachtigall, 
Ach! was mir dein Lied will sagen! 
Kenn' ihn wohl, der Wehmuth Schall 
In den allerschönsten Tagen! 
  Mir auch zittert's durch Gemüth, 
  Wie so bald der Lenz verblüht!

Composition:

Alexis Holländer

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Frühlingsklage", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 48

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Springtime lament", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-01-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 63

Springtime lament

(Sung text translation for setting by A. Holländer)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Little clouds scud in the heights,
Quickly chased about by balmy breezes;
Meadows stand wondrously beautiful,
Violets disperse their scent all about the grass!
   But already, far away in the grove,
  Hark! what an anxious sound of lamenting!

  I know well, oh nightingale,
Ah! what your song wishes to tell me!
I know well the sound of melancholy
During the most beautiful of days!
  It trembles also through my spirit,
  How very quickly springtime fades!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Frühlingsklage", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 48
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This text was added to the website: 2025-01-20
Line count: 12
Word count: 77