Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Willkommen, lieber schöner Mai, Der unsre Flur verjüngt, Daß ringsum Laub und Blume neu Aus vollen Knospen dringt. Dir tönt der Vögel Lobgesang; Der ganze Buchenhain Am Blumenthal ist Silberklang, Und Bäche murmeln drein. Roth stehn die Blumen, weiß und blau, Und Mädchen pflücken sie, Und tanzen auf der grünen Au: Ahi, Herr Mai, ahi! Ihr Busen ist von Blümchen bunt; Von schöner Melodie Ertönt, und lacht ihr Rosenmund: Ahi, Herr Mai, ahi!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty. Besorgt durch seine Freunde Friederich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg und Johann Heinrich Voß. Hamburg, bei Carl Ernst Bohn. 1783, page 156; and with Musen-Almanach oder poetische Blumenlese für das Jahr 1781. Herausgegeben von Voß und Goekingk. Hamburg, bey Carl Ernst Bohn, page 198.
Note: This is the version published by Voß. The initial version of this poem is different (see below).
Text Authorship:
- by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Mailied", written 1773, first published 1781 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Gustav Blasser , "Mailied", op. 20 (Hölty-Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte), Heft 3 no. 11, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Kratochwill [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard August Grell (1800 - 1886), "Willkommen, lieber schöner Mai ", op. 21 no. 5, published 1843 [ voice and piano? ], from [Zwölf] Kinderlieder (auch ohne Begleitung zu singen), no. 5, Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Willkommen, lieber schöner Mai", D 244 (1815?), published 1892 [ vocal trio ], canon, using the first line of stanzas 1 and 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (1747 - 1800), "Mailied", published 1782, Berlin: Bey George Jakob Decker, Königl. Hofbuchdrucker [sung text checked 1 time]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Meilied", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "Welcome, dear beautiful May", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2006-04-09
Line count: 16
Word count: 73
Welcome, dear beautiful May, Which rejuvenates our fields, Causing leaves and new flowers To burst out of full buds. The bird's song of praise is raised to you; The whole beech grove By the valley of flowers is a silvery sound, And brooks are joining in with their babbling! The flowers are standing - red, white and blue - And girls are picking them, And dancing on the green meadow: Ahi, Mr. May, Ahi! Her breast is colourful, with little flowers, A beautiful melody Is resounding and her pink mouth is laughing: Ahi, Mr. May, Ahi!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 by Malcolm Wren, (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 Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Mailied", written 1773, first published 1781
This text was added to the website: 2016-08-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 94