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Die Blümelein sie schlafen Schon längst im Mondenschein, Sie nicken mit den Köpfen Auf ihren Stengelein. Es rüttelt sich der Blüthenbaum, Es säuselt wie im Traum: Schlafe, schlafe, Schlaf du, mein Kindelein! Die Vögelein sie sangen So süß im Sonnenschein, Sie sind zur Ruh gegangen In ihre Nestchen klein. Das Heimchen in dem Ährengrund, Es thut allein sich kund: Schlafe, schlafe, Schlaf du, mein Kindelein! Sandmännchen kommt geschlichen Und guckt durch's Fensterlein, Ob irgend noch ein Liebchen Nicht mag zu Bette sein. Und wo es nur ein Kindchen fand, Streut er ihm in die Augen Sand. Schlafe, schlafe, Schlaf du, mein Kindelein! Sanndmännchen aus dem Zimmer, Es schläft mein Herzchen fein, Es is gar fest verschlossen Schon sein Guckäugelein; Es leuchtet morgen mir willkomm Das Äugelein so fromm! Schlafe, schlafe, Schlaf du, mein Kindelein!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Deutsche Volkslieder mit ihren Original-Weisen... gesammelt und mit Anmerkungen versehen von A. Wilh. v Zuccalmaglio, Zweiter Theil, Berlin, Vereins-Buchhandlung, 1840, page 648. Note: modern German would change the following spellings: "Blüthenbaum" -> "Blütenbaum", "thut" -> "tut"
Note: there appears to be at least one edition of the song by Brahms that uses "meine Kindelein" in the refrain instead of holding "mein" over two eighth notes, but this is ungrammatical.
Text Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Sandmännchen", subtitle: "Vom Niederrhein" [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Das Sandmännchen", op. 90 no. 5, published 1853 [ voice and piano ], from Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 5, Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Sandmännchen", WoO. 31 no. 4 (1857), from Volks-Kinderlieder, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Elise Breiderhoff, née Frey (1849 - 1940), "Sandmännchen", published 1897 [ vocal trio for female voices, unaccompanied ], from Zehn deutsche Volkslieder für 3 weibliche Stimmen gesetzt (ohne Begleitung), no. 10, Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Dregert (1836 - 1893), "Sandmännchen", op. 63 (2 Lieder für Männerchor) no. 1, published 1884 [ men's chorus ], Leipzig, Lichtenberger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walter Eitze , "Wiegenlied", published 1895 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder und Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 2, Berlin, Challier & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Wiegenlied", op. 199 (Fünf Gesänge für vier weibliche Stimmen (ohne Begleitung)) no. 3, published 1882 [ vocal quartet for female voices a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Mayer (1831 - 1898?), "Sandmännchen" [ baritone or alto and piano ], from 3 Lieder, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (1824 - 1910), "Sandmännchen", op. 210 no. 5, published 1890 [ voice and piano ], from Neun Kinderlieder nach Volksliedern bearb. für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 5, Leipzig, Gebr. Reinecke [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leopold Rosenfeld (1849 - 1909), "Niederrheinisches Wiegenlied", op. 19 (Vier Lieder für 1 mittlere Stimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1882 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adam Struth (1810 - 1895), "Wiegenlied", op. 67 no. 3, published 1858 [ voice and piano ], from Jugendklänge. 6 Lieder mit Pianoforte, no. 3, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Baptist Zerlett (1859 - 1935), "Sandmännchen", op. 107 (Zwölf Gesänge für dreistimmigen Frauenchor (2 Sopran und Alt)) no. 7, published 1899 [ SSA chorus ], Leipzig, Luckhardt's Musik-Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "'t Zandmannetje", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Allen Shearer) , copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Allen Shearer
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 134
The flowers, they sleep Already in the moonlight, They nod their heads On their slender stems, The flowering tree bestirs itself, It whispers as in a dream: Sleep, sleep, sleep my little child! The little birds, who sang So sweetly in the sunlight, They have gone to their rest In their tiny nests. The cricket in the tuft of grass, Alone proclaims: Sleep, sleep, sleep my little child! The Sandman comes creeping And peers through the small window, To see if a dear little one Does not want to go to bed. And when he finds a child there, He sprinkles sand in his eyes. Sleep, sleep, sleep my little child! The Sandman leaves the room, And my dear one sleeps soundly, And already tightly closed Are his bright little eyes. Tomorrow, in gentle welcome, Those eyes will sparkle for me! Sleep, sleep, sleep my little child!
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "Sandmännchen" = "The Sandman"Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by Michael P Rosewall, (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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Sandmännchen", subtitle: "Vom Niederrhein"
This text was added to the website: 2015-03-05
Line count: 32
Word count: 147