Ils ne le savent pas | Un tout petit oiseau vit

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by Oscar Panizza (1853 - 1921)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Es wohnt ein kleines Vögelein

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Es wohnt ein kleines Vögelein
Auf grünem Baum, im grünen Licht,
Daß es die schöne Nachtigall,
Das Vöglein, es weiß es nicht.

Es wohnt ein schneeweiß Mägdelein
Im vierten Stock beim Himmelslicht,
Daß es das schönste Kind der Stadt,
Das schöne Kind, es weiß es nicht.

Sie wissen's nicht, und unten tief
Geht einer, dem das Herz zerbricht,
Zum Mädchen und zur Nachtigall
Schluchzt er hinauf, sie wissen's nicht.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Oskar Panizza, Düstre Lieder, Leipzig: Albert Unflad, 1886. Appears in Verschiedenes, page 99.

Text Authorship:

by Oscar Panizza (1853 - 1921), "Sie wissen's nicht", appears in Düstre Lieder, in Verschiedenes, Leipzig: Albert Unflad, first published 1886 [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 Louis Victor Franz Saar (1868 - 1937), "Mädchen und Nachtigall", op. 11 no. 2, published 1895 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder von der Nachtigall für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Berlin, Ries & Erler [sung text not yet checked]
by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Sie wissen's nicht", op. 49 (Acht Lieder) no. 5 (1901), published 1902 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Fürstner [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ils ne le savent pas", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Alberto Pedrotti , Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 69

Ils ne le savent pas

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Un tout petit oiseau vit
Dans la forêt verte, dans la lumière verte,
Qu'il était le beau rossignol,
Le petit oiseau ne le sait pas.

Une jeune fille blanche comme la neige vit
Au quatrième étage près de la lumière du ciel,
Qu'elle est la plus belle de la ville,
La belle enfant ne le sait pas.

Ils ne le savent pas et tout en bas
Marche un homme qui a le cœur brisé,
Jusqu'à la jeune fille et jusqu'au rossignol,
Ses sanglots montent, ils ne le savent pas.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2014 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Oscar Panizza (1853 - 1921), "Sie wissen's nicht", appears in Düstre Lieder, in Verschiedenes, Leipzig: Albert Unflad, first published 1886
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-09-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 89