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 into the air did resound?
Spring found it in the balmy night,
filling hearts with joy.
He sang it first in the lilacs
and the rhythm puls'd to it:
O May! the time of love-dreams,
what is as sweet as you!
Then, little gnats and beetles came,
Forest birds marked the tune,
they practiced the style,
and by thousandfold;
they carried it thru' the heavens
and in all the forest is peace:
O Maytime joy, o time of love-dreams,
what is as sweet as you!
The nightingale sang to me by the brook,
and a sweet sadness o'er came me!
Now, the song follows me everywhere
through the air and snow-white blooms.
From the lilacs I gather a bouquet
and I always sing:
O Maytime, o time of love-dreams,
what is as sweet as you!
what is as sweet as you!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell, (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.
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Based on:
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 25
Word count: 147
