by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Es liebt sich so lieblich im Lenze
 (Sung text for setting by J. Brahms)
 See base text
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE
Die Wellen blinken und fließen dahin,
Es liebt sich so lieblich im Lenze!
Am Flusse sitzet die Schäferin 
Und windet die zärtlichsten Kränze.

Das knospet und quillt und duftet und blüht,
es liebt sich so lieblich im Lenze!
Die Schäferin seufzt aus tiefer Brust:
»Wem geb' ich meine Kränze?«

Ein Reiter reitet den Fluß entlang,
er grüßet so blühenden Mutes,
die Schäferin schaut ihm nach so bang,
fern flattert die Feder des Hutes.

Sie weint und wirft in den gleitenden Fluß
die schönen Blumenkränze.
Die Nachtigall singt von Lieb' und Kuß,
es liebt sich so lieblich im Lenze!

Note: in later editions, Heine changed "quillt und duftet und blüht" to "quillt, mit duftender Lust" in stanza 2, line 1. In addition, "vollem Gemüt" was changed to "tiefer Brust" in stanza 2, line 3.

Composition:

    Set to music by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Es liebt sich so lieblich im Lenze", op. 71 no. 1, published 1877 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "L'amour est si doux au printemps !", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 100

Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The waves flash and flow in;
Love is so lovely in Spring!
By the river the shepherdess sits
And weaves delicate crowns of wreaths.

The budding, the streaming, the wafting, and blossoming -
Love is so lovely in spring!
The shepherdess sighs from deep in her bosom:
"To whom shall I give my wreaths?"

A horseman rides along the river:
he greets her with radiant cheer,
the shepherdess gazes at him shyly,
and far in the distance the feather flutters in his cap.

She weeps and throws into the gliding river
those lovely wreaths of flowers.
The nightingale sings of love and kisses;
Love is so lovely in the spring!

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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: 16
Word count: 110