The mother at the cradle | Sleep, sweet boy, sweetly and mildly

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by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Mutter an der Wiege

(Sung text for setting by C. Loewe)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Schlaf, holder Knabe, süß und mild!
  Du deines Vaters Ebenbild!
Das bist du; zwar dein Vater spricht,
  Du habest seine Nase nicht.

Nur eben itzo war er hier,
  Und sah dir in's Gesicht,
Und sprach: "Viel hat er zwar von mir,
  Doch meine Nase hat er nicht."

Mich dünkt es selbst, sie ist zu klein,
  Doch muß es seine Nase sein;
Denn wenn's nicht seine Nase wär',
  Wo hätt'st du denn die Nase her?

Schlaf, Knabe, was dein Vater spricht,
  Spricht er wohl im Scherz;
Hab' immer seine Nase nicht
  Und habe nur sein Herz!

Composition:

Carl Loewe

Text Authorship:

by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Die Mutter bei der Wiege"

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist)
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The mother at the cradle", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Peter Donderwinkel

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 98

The mother at the cradle

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Loewe)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Sleep, lovely boy, sweetly and mildly,
  You, the very image of your father. 
That's what you are, although your father
  Says you do not have his nose.

He was only just here
  And looked into your face
And said:  "He has a lot of my characteristics,
  But he does not have my nose!"

Well, I think it is a little small myself,
  Yet it must be his nose,
For if it weren't his nose,
  Where on earth would you have gotten it?

Sleep, little boy, what you father says
  He's probably saying only in jest. 
Don't worry about having his nose,
  Just have his good heart!

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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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Die Mutter bei der Wiege"
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This text was added to the website: 2008-09-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 107