Swiss spring | Oh how beautiful the mountains are today!

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

O wie sind heut die Berge schön!

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

O wie sind heut die Berge schön!
Der feuchte blaue Himmel lacht,
Und durch die Täler braust mit Macht
Von Süden her der wilde Föhn.

Der ferne Jura blaut wie Samt
Aus dunstig weißer Fläche her,
Auf allen Alpen ist ein Meer
Von silberweißem Licht entflammt.

Der mondelange Winter wich,
Schon manchem grünen Hang hinan
Blüht Knabenkraut und Enzian --
Nun, meine Seele, freue dich!

About the headline (FAQ)

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Confirmed with Hermann Hesse Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, pages 511-512.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Schweizer Frühling", written 1902 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Hans Leicht (b. 1899), "April", 1952 [ 2 voices unaccompanied ], from Sieben ein- und zweistimmige Lieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Swiss spring", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2014-03-01
Line count: 12
Word count: 64

Swiss spring

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Oh how beautiful the mountains are today!
The moist blue heavens laugh,
And through the valleys mightily blows
The wild Föhn-wind¹ from the south.

The distant Jura is as blue as velvet
From out the misty white plains,
Upon all the Alps a sea
Of silver-white light has flamed forth.

The winter, many months long, has retreated,
Already upon many a green slope
Alpine orchids and gentians are blooming --
Now, my soul, be happy!

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foehn_wind

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Schweizer Frühling", written 1902
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-03-01
Line count: 12
Word count: 75