Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum,
Und jauchzen vor lauter Freude.
Der Peter steht so still und [stumm]1,
Und ist so blaß wie Kreide.

Der Hans und die Grete sind Bräut'gam und Braut,
Und blitzen im Hochzeitgeschmeide.
Der arme Peter die Nägel kaut
Und geht im Werkeltagskleide.

Der Peter spricht leise vor sich her,
Und [schaut]2 betrübet auf Beide:
« Ach! wenn ich nicht gar zu vernünftig wär',
Ich [thät']3 mir was zu Leide.»

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Buch der Lieder von Heinrich Heine, zweiundfünfzigste Auflage (52nd edition), Hamburg, Hoffmann und Campe, 1882, page 52.

¹ Schumann: "so stumm"
² Schumann: "schauet"
³ Schumann: "thäte"; modernized spelling would be "täte"

Authorship:

• by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Romanzen, in 4. Der arme Peter, no. 1 [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 Peter Emile Gohr (1842 - 1899), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum" [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Friedrich Wilhelm Grund (1791 - 1874), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Georg Kramm (1856 - 1910), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", op. 6 no. 1, published 1884 [ voice and piano ], from Der arme Peter, no. 1, Hamburg, Jowien [sung text not yet checked]
• by Franz Krežma (1862 - 1881), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", 1878, from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gustav Langer (1830 - 1889), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", op. 5 (Drei Lieder) no. 3, from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Heinrich Lemcke (1812 - ?), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", op. 2 no. 1, from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Franz Mair (1821 - 1893), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", op. 16 no. 1, from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johann Karl Metzger (1827 - 1898), "Hans und Grete", op. 115 no. 2, published 1874 [ vocal quartet for male voices ], from Drei humoristische Quartette für Männerstimmen, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alfred Reisenauer (1863 - 1907), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", op. 13 (Balladen und Romanzen) no. 2, from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Albert Rubenson (1826 - 1901), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", from Der arme Peter (Med lust och fröjd) , no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Schwalm (1845 - 1912), "Der arme Peter", op. 18, published 1877 [ vocal quartet for male voices ], Schleusingen, Glaser [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Johan Gustaf) Emil Sjögren (1853 - 1918), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", 1875 [ voice and piano ], from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johan August Söderman (1832 - 1876), "Der Hans und die Grete tanzen herum", published 1870 [ voice and orchestra or piano ], from Der arme Peter, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Der arme Peter", op. 53 (Romanzen und Balladen für Singstimme und Klavier (Heft 3)) no. 3 (1840), published 1845 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Whistling
  • View the full text. [sung text checked 1 time]
    

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in French (Français), a translation by Maurice Dufresne (d. 1953) ; composed by Tibor Harsányi.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    
• Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Amilcare Ponchielli.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    
• Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by P. Karaban ; composed by Valery Aleksandrovich Gavrilin.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Arme Peter I -- Zie, Hans en Margreetje dansen in 't rond", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Hans and Grete dance around", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Hans et Grete tournent et dansent", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Maurice Dufresne)
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Gianni e Rita danzano in cerchio", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• SPA Spanish (Español) (Saúl Botero Restrepo) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 75

Juan y  Margarita bailan 
dando gritos de alegría. 
Pedro está inmóvil y callado, 
y como la tiza pálido.

Juan y  Margarita ya son esposos
y brillan con sus vestidos de boda.
El pobre Pedro se come las uñas 
y viste su traje ordinario. 

Pedro dice quedo para sí, 
al mirarlos atribulado: 
Ay, si fuera menos razonable, 
me haría un mal grande.