by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Maisonntag
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Heut ist der erste Feiertag,
Daß man ins Freie wandern mag
Und durch die frohen Dörfer gehen,
Wo hinter jedem Lattenschlag
Die schmucken Mädel stehen.

Herr Wirt, gib einen Schoppen Wein,
Es darf vom allerbesten sein,
Mir ists beileibe nicht ums Sparen.
Und du, was stehst du so allein,
Du mit den blonden Haaren?

Komm her, du Kleine, sei kein Fratz,
Bald rückt die Musik auf den Platz,
Wir dürfen doch beim Tanz nicht fehlen!
Nachher im Walde, lieber Schatz,
Muß ich dir was erzählen . . .

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, page 520.


Text Authorship:

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

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Diumenge de maig", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "May Sunday", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Dimanche de mai", 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: 2014-07-27
Line count: 15
Word count: 88

May Sunday
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Today is the first holiday
On which one may go wandering in the open air
And walk through the happy villages,
Where under every wooden entryway
The picture-perfect maidens stand.

Publican, give me a measure of wine,
You may let it be of the very best,
I am most certainly not in the mood for being frugal.
And you, why are you standing so all by yourself,
You, with the blonde hair?

Come here, you little one, don’t be a rascal,
Soon musicians will arrive on the green,
We must not be absent from the dancing!
Later in the forest, little treasure,
I have something I wish to say to you . . .

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.
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This text was added to the website: 2014-07-27
Line count: 15
Word count: 114