Es [grünet]1 ein Nußbaum vor dem Haus,
[Duftig, 
Luftig]2 
Breitet er blättrig die Äste aus.

Viel liebliche Blüten stehen dran;
Linde 
Winde 
Kommen, sie herzlich zu umfahn.

Es flüstern je zwei zu zwei gepaart,
Neigend, 
Beugend 
[Zierlich]3 zum Kusse die Häuptchen zart.

Sie flüstern von [einem]4 Mägdlein, das
Dächte
[Nächte,
Tagelang, wüsste]5, ach! selber nicht was.

Sie flüstern - wer mag verstehn so gar
Leise 
[Weise]6? -
Flüstern von Bräut'gam und nächstem Jahr.

Das Mägdlein [horchet]7, es rauscht im Baum;
Sehnend, 
Wähnend 
Sinkt es lächelnd in Schlaf und Traum.

J. Rheinberger sets stanzas 1-4, 6

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Julius Mosen, Gedichte, zweite vermehrte Auflage, Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1843, pages 122-123

Note for stanza 1, line 4, word 5: some editions of Schumann have "Blätter" instead of "Äste"

¹ Freudenberg: "steht"; further changes may exist not shown above; Rheinberger: "grünt"
² Rheinberger: "Luftig,/ Duftig"
³ Rheinberger: "Zärtlich"
⁴ Rheinberger: "meinem"
⁵ Schumann: "die Nächte/ und Tage lang, wusste"
⁶ Schumann: "Weis'"
⁷ Rheinberger: "horcht"

Text Authorship:

• by Julius Mosen (1803 - 1867), "Der Nußbaum", appears in Gedichte, in Leben und Liebe auf dem Lande [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 Heinrich, Freiherr von Bach (1835 - 1915), as Heinrich Molbe, "Es grünt ein Nußbaum vor dem Haus", op. 15 (Zwei Lieder) no. 1 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Rörich [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Banck (1809 - 1889), "Frühlingstraum", op. 26 (4 Duette für 2 Soprane mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1837 [ duet for 2 sopranos and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Wilhelm Freudenberg (1838 - 1928), "Der Nußbaum", op. 14 (Vier Lieder für Sopran mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1874 [ soprano and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger (1839 - 1901), "Der Nussbaum", JWV 122 no. 2, stanzas 1-4,6, from Zwei Lieder, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Der Nußbaum", op. 25 no. 3 (1840), published 1840 [ voice and piano ], from Myrten, no. 3, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Marta Garcia Cadena) , "El noguer", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De notenboom", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , copyright ©
• ENG English [singable] (Shula Keller) , "The nut-tree", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le noyer", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il noce", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 96

A walnut tree stands greenly in front of the house,
fragrantly 
and airly 
spreading out its leafy branches.

Many lovely blossoms does it bear;
gentle 
winds 
come to caress them.

They whisper, paired two by two,
gracefully 
inclining 
their tender heads to kiss.

They whisper of a maiden
who thinks 
day and night long
of... but alas! she does not herself know!

They whisper - who can understand 
such a soft 
song? -
they whisper of a bridegroom and of the coming year.

The maiden listens, the tree rustles;
yearning, 
hoping, 
she sinks smiling into sleep and dream.