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Wir Schwestern zwei, wir schönen, So gleich von Angesicht, So gleicht kein Ei dem andern, Kein Stern dem andern nicht. Wir Schwestern zwei, wir schönen, Wir haben [lichtebraune]1 Haar', Und [flichst]2 du sie in einen Zopf, Man kennt sie nicht fürwahr. Wir Schwestern zwei, wir schönen, Wir tragen gleich Gewand, Spazieren auf dem Wiesenplan Und singen Hand in Hand. Wir Schwestern zwei, wir schönen, Wir spinnen in die Wett', Wir sitzen an einer Kunkel[,] Wir schlafen in einem Bett. O Schwestern zwei, ihr schönen, Wie hat sich das Blättchen [gewend't]3! Ihr liebet einerlei Liebchen -- [Und jetzt]4 hat das Liedel ein End'.
Confirmed with Eduard Mörike, Gedichte, Dramatisches, Erzählendes, Zweite, erweiterte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachf., 1961, pages 63-64.
1 Brahms: "nußbraun"2 Brahms: "flichtst"
3 Brahms: "gewandt"
4 Brahms: "Jetzt"
Text Authorship:
- by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Die Schwestern" [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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Die Schwestern", op. 61 (Vier Duette) no. 1 [ duet ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix (August Bernhard) Draeseke (1835 - 1913), "Die Schwestern", op. 81 (Vier Gesänge) no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Ludwig Friedrich Hetsch (1806 - 1872), "Die Schwestern", op. 11 (Lieder und Gesänge von Ed. Mörike für Mezzo-Sopran) no. 2 (1838), published 1843 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], Stuttgart, Zum Haydn [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Karl) Emil Kauffmann (1836 - 1909), "Die Schwestern", 1853 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Friedrich Kauffmann (1803 - 1856), "Die Schwestern" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Die Schwestern", op. 187 (Sechs Gesänge für vier Frauenstimmen) no. 4, published 1879 [ vocal quartet for female voices ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Franz Schieri (1922 - 2009), "Die Schwestern", 1993 [ female voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Manfred Schlenker (1926 - 2023 ), "Die Schwestern", published 2006 [ vocal quintet ], from Zehn Mörike-Burlesken für fünf Stimmen, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Die Schwestern", op. 62 no. 12 (1948-9) [ voice and piano ], from Das holde Bescheiden: Lieder und Gesänge nach Gedichten von Eduard Mörike, no. 12, Wien: Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
- by Justus Hermann Wetzel (1879 - 1973), "Die Schwestern" [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Les germanes", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De zussen", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Siân Goldthorpe) (Christian Stein) , "The sisters", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Les sœurs", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Giulio Cesare Barozzi) , "Le sorelle", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Siân Goldthorpe , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 105
We two sisters, we beauties Our faces so similar, Identical as two eggs, Identical as two stars. We two sisters, we beauties, We have nut brown tresses, If you plat them together, You can't tell them apart. We two sisters, we beauties We dress the same, Walking in the meadow, And singing hand in hand. We two sisters, we beauties, We race each other at spinning, We sit together in an alcove, And sleep in the same bed. O sisters two, you beauties How the tables have turned, You love the same sweetheart; And now the song is over!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Siân Goldthorpe and Christian Stein, (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 Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Die Schwestern"
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 99