by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1798 - 1874)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Wer hat die schönsten Schäfchen?
 (Sung text for setting by J. Reichardt)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Wer hat die schönsten Schäfchen?
Die hat der gold'ne Mond,
Der hinter jenen Bäumen
Am Himmel droben wohnt.

Er kommt am späten Abend,
Wenn alles schlafen will,
Hervor aus seinem Hause
Zum Himmel leis' und still.

Dann weidet er die Schäfchen
Auf seiner blauen Flur,
Denn all' die weißen Sterne
Sind seine Schäfchen nur.

Sie tun uns nichts zu Leide
Hat eins das and're gern,
Und Schwestern sind und Brüder
Da droben Stern an Stern.

Und soll ich dir ein's bringen,
So darfst du niemals schrei'n,
Mußt freundlich wie die Schäfchen
Und wie ihr Schäfer sein.

Composition:

    Set to music by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Wer hat die schönsten Schäfchen?", 1790, note: these words were published with this music well after it was composed

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-08-19
Line count: 20
Word count: 104

Who has the most beautiful little sheep?
 (Sung text translation for setting by J. Reichardt)
 See original
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Who has the most beautiful little sheep?
The golden moon does,
Who lives behind those trees
In the heavens up high.

He comes in the late evening,
When everything wants to sleep,
Out from his house
To the sky softly and quietly.

Then he tends his little sheep
On his blue meadow,
For all of the white stars
Are his little sheep.

They do us no harm.
Each is fond of the others,
And sisters and brothers above
Are star by star.

And if you want me to bring you one,
You must never scream,
You must be as amiable
As those little sheep and their shepherd.

Note for stanza 2, line 1: In German, the word for moon is masculine.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2008 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.
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This text was added to the website: 2008-01-05
Line count: 20
Word count: 113