Wer hat das erste Lied erdacht
See originalLanguage: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: ENG ENG
Wer hat das erste Lied erdacht,
Das in die Lüfte scholl?
Der Frühling fand's in lauer Nacht,
Das Herz von Wonne voll;
Er sang es früh im Fliederbaum
Und schlug den Takt dazu:
"O Maienzeit, o Liebestraum,
Was ist so süß wie Du?"
Da kamen Mück' und Käferlein,
Waldvöglein sonder Zahl;
Sie übten sich die Weise ein,
Wohl an die tausend Mal.
Sie trugen's durch den Himmelsraum
Und durch die Waldesruh:
"O Maienzeit, o Liebestraum,
Was ist so süß wie Du?"
Mir sang's am Bach die Nachtigall,
Da ward mir wonnig weh;
Nun folgt das Lied mir überall
Durch Luft und Blütenschnee.
Ich pflück' den Zweig vom Fliederbaum
Und sing' es immerzu:
"O Maienzeit, o Liebestraum,
Was ist so süß wie Du?"
Composition:
Set to music by Ferruccio Busoni (1866 - 1924), "Wer hat das erste Lied erdacht", op. 31 no. 1 (1880), published 1884 [ mezzo-soprano or tenor and piano ], Triest, (Vicentini.)
Text Authorship:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John H. Campbell) , "Who invented the first song", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , John H. Campbell , Sharon Krebs
[Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 128
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Who devised the first song
That rang out into the breezes?
'Twas springtime that found it in the balmy night,
Its heart full of bliss;
Early on Spring sang it to the lilac tree
And beat time to it:
"Oh May-time, oh Love’s dream,
What is as sweet as you are?"
Along came mosquitos and little beetles,
Forest birds without number;
They practised the melody until they knew it,
Well nigh a thousand times.
They carried it through the expanses of the sky
And through the peace of the forest:
"Oh May-time, oh Love’s dream,
What is as sweet as you are?"
A nightingale sang it to me by the brook,
Thereupon I felt so blissfully heartsore;
Now the song follows me everywhere
Through the air and blossom-snow.
I pick a branch from the lilac tree
And I sing it incessantly:
"Oh May-time, oh Love’s dream,
What is as sweet as you are?"
Translations of title(s):
"Wer hat das erste Lied erdacht" = "Who devised the first song"
"O Maienzeit, o Liebestraum" = "Oh May-time, oh Love’s dream"
"Das erste Lied" = "The first song"
"Maienzeit und Liebestraum" = "May-time and Love’s dream"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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:
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This text was added to the website: 2019-12-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 153
