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Des Schäfers sein Haus und das steht auf zwei Rad, steht hoch auf der Heiden, so frühe, wie spat; und wenn nur ein Mancher so'n Nachtquartier hätt'! Ein Schäfer tauscht nicht mit dem König sein Bett. Und käm' ihm zur Nacht auch was Seltsames vor, er betet sein Sprüchel und legt sich auf's Ohr; ein Geistlein, ein Hexlein, so luftige Wicht', sie klopfen ihm wohl, doch er antwortet nicht. Einmal doch, da ward es ihm wirklich zu bunt: es knopert am Laden, es winselt der Hund; nun ziehet mein Schäfer den Riegel - ei schau! da stehen zwei Störche, der Mann und die Frau. Das Pärchen, es machet ein schön Kompliment, es möchte gern reden, ach, wenn es nur könnt'! Was will mir das Ziefer? ist so was erhört? Doch ist mir wohl fröhliche Botschaft beschert. Ihr seid wohl dahinten zu Hause am Rhein? Ihr habt wohl mein Mädel gebissen in's Bein? nun weinet das Kind und die Mutter noch mehr, sie wünschet den Herzallerliebsten sich her. Und wünschet daneben die Taufe bestellt: ein Lämmlein, ein Würstlein, ein Beutelein Geld? so sagt nur, ich käm' in zwei Tag oder drei, und grüßt mir mein Bübel und rührt ihm den Brei! Doch halt! warum stellt ihr zu Zweien euch ein? es werden doch, hoff' ich, nicht Zwillinge sein? Da klappern die Störche im lustigsten Ton, sie nicken und knixen und fliegen davon.
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Authorship:
- by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875) [author's text not yet checked 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 Hugo Distler (1908 - 1942), "Storchenbotschaft", op. 19 (Mörike-Chorliederbuch), Heft 1 no. 18 (1939) [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Pressel (1827 - 1890), "Die Storchenbotschaft", published 2005 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Storchenbotschaft", from Mörike-Lieder, no. 48 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Sílvia Pujalte Piñán) , "Missatge de les cigonyes", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Stork's message", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le message des cigognes", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Message de cigognes", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Il messaggio delle cicogne", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 231
The shepherd's house stands on two wheels - stands high on the heath, from morning to night; if only more people had such night lodgings! Then a shepherd would not exchange his bed with a king. And if something strange came about by night, he would make a little prayer and lay down on his ear; a spirit, a witch, and other such airy creatures may knock on his door, but he will not answer. But once it became just too much: the banging on the shutter, the whining of the dog; so my shepherd draws back the bolts - and behold! there stand two storks, a male and a female. The couple makes a nice bow and wish to speak, alas, if only they could! What do poultry want of me? Has anyone heard of such a thing? Yet they bear me a joyful message. You live in that house back there by the Rhine? You have bitten my maiden in the leg? now the child is weeping and the mother as well: she wishes for her beloved to come home. And she wishes also to arrange a baptism: a lamb, a sausage and a purse of money? well, tell her I'll come in two or three days, and greet my boy and stir his porridge for me! But wait! why have you both come? but it won't, I hope, mean twins? The storks give a great rattle with a merry sound; they nod and bow, and fly away.
Notes: children were often told that a stork delivered a new baby and bit the mother (perhaps to explain why the mother had to remain in bed).In stanza 4, the archaic word "Ziefer" appears. According to Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob Grimm und Wilhelm Grimm, this is a word for small domestic poultry or fowl in general.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 250