from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?
 (Sung text for setting by G. Mahler)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE RUS SPA
Dort oben am Berg in dem hohen Haus,
Da guckt ein fein's lieb's Mädel heraus,
Es ist nicht dort daheime,
Es ist des Wirts sein Töchterlein,
Es wohnt auf grüner Heide.

 ... 

"Mein Herze ist wund,
komm Schätzel mach's gesund!
Dein schwarzbraune Äuglein, 
Die haben mich vertwundt!

Dein rosiger Mund
Macht Herzen gesund.
Macht Jugend verständig,
Macht Tote lebendig,
Macht Kranke gesund."

Wer hat denn das schöne Liedlein erdacht?
Es haben's drei Gäns übers Wasser gebracht,
Zwei graue und eine weiße;
Und wer das Liedlein nicht singen kann,
Dem wollen sie es pfeifen.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-5 of the original text.

Composition:

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "A qui se l’ha acudit aquesta cançoneta?", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Who thought up this little song?", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Qui a inventé cette petite chanson ?", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • RUS Russian (Русский) (Elena Kalinina) , "Кто выдумал эту песенку?", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elena María Accinelli) , "A quién se le ocurrió esta cancioncilla?", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Jakob Kellner

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 116

Who thought up this little song?
 (Sung text translation for setting by G. Mahler)
 See original
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Up there on the mountain, in a high-up house,
a lovely, darling girl looks out of the window.
She does not live there:
she is the daughter of the innkeeper,
and she lives on the green meadow.

 ... 

"My heart is sore!
Come, my treasure, make it well again!
Your dark brown eyes
have wounded me.

Your rosy mouth
makes hearts healthy.
It makes youth wise,
brings the dead to life,
gives health to the ill."

Who has thought up this pretty little song then?
It was brought over the water by three geese -
two grey and one white -
and if you cannot sing the little song,
they will whistle it for you!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-5 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 138