A little bird from a branch

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by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863)

Translation © by Emily Romney

Das Glück

(Sung text for setting by R. Schumann)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA POR

Vöglein vom Zweig
 Gaukelt hernieder;
Lustig sogleich
 Schwingt es sich wieder.

Jetzt dir so nah,
 Jetzt sich versteckend;
Abermals da,
 Scherzend und neckend.

Tastest du zu,
 Bist du betrogen,
Spottend im Nu
 Ist es entflogen.

Still! Bis zur Hand
 Wird's dir noch hüpfen,
Bist du gewandt,
 Kann's nicht entschlüpfen.

Ist's denn so schwer
 Das zu erwarten?
Schau' um dich her:
 Blühender Garten!

Ei, du verzagst?
 Laß' es gewähren,
Bis du's erjagst,
 Kannst du's entbehren.

Wird's doch auch dann
 Wenig nur bringen,
Aber es kann
 Süßestes bringen.

Composition:

Robert Schumann

Liederalbum für die Jugend

Text Authorship:

by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863), title 1: "Das Vöglein", title 2: "Das Glück", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Lieder, first published 1838

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Het geluk", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Romney) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le bonheur", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "La felicità", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
POR Portuguese (Português) (Margarida Moreno) , "A felicidade", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Claus-Christian Schuster [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 88

Happiness

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Schumann)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

A little bird from a branch
  Flutters down:
Cheerful at once
  It leaps away again.

Now so near to you,
  Now hiding itself;
Again right there,
  Pleasant and playful.

If you touch it,
  It will elude you,
Mocking, in a flash
  It flies away.

Quiet! Right by your hand
  It will hop about,
If you are clever,
  It can't escape.

Is it so difficult
  For you to wait?
Look around you here:
  A blooming garden!

Oh, are you disheartened?
  Let it go,
As soon as you ensnare it,
  You can miss it.

In the meantime
  It brings only very little,
But it can
  Sing most sweetly.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 by Emily Romney, (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:

a text in German (Deutsch) by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863), title 1: "Das Vöglein", title 2: "Das Glück", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Lieder, first published 1838
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This text was added to the website: 2011-08-10
Line count: 28
Word count: 106