Blond Gretchen hat Lieschen gebeten,
  Zu Kaffee und Kuchen um drei,
[Sie]1 sitzen im schattigen Garten,
Ich wäre wohl gern mit dabei!

Der Kuchen ist voller Rosinen,
  Erdbeeren glüh'n würzig und frisch,
Es knixen die kleinen Basen
  Und laden sich höflich zu Tisch.

Hei! wie verschwindet der Kuchen,
  Wie munden die [Beeren]2 so schön!
Hast du je solch' kleine vergnügte
  Zwei Kaffeeschwestern geseh'n?

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Am Fenster in Bildern und Versen von Kate Greenaway, der deutsche Text von Käthe Freiligrath-Kroeker, München: Theodor Stroefers Kunstverlag, [1880], page 17.

¹ Frank: "Die"
² Frank: "Erdbeer'n"

Text Authorship:

• by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker (1845 - 1904), no title, appears in Am Fenster in Bildern und Versen von Kate Greenaway [an adaptation] [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

• a text in English by Catherine "Kate" Greenaway (1846 - 1901), no title, appears in Under the Window: Pictures & Rhymes for Children, first published 1879
  • Go to the text page.

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

• by Ernst Frank (1847 - 1889), "Blond Gretchen hat Lieschen gebeten", op. 14 no. 9, published 1881 [ vocal duet for soprano and alto with piano ], from 16 Duettinen aus 'Am Fenster' in Bildern und Versen von Kate Greenaway, no. 9, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Blonde Gretel had invited Lizzie", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2020-05-31
Line count: 12
Word count: 65