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Bekränzet die Tonnen, Und zapfet [mir]1 Wein; Der Mai ist begonnen, Wir müssen uns freun! Die Winde verstummen, Und athmen noch kaum; Die Bienlein umsummen Den blühenden Baum. Die Nachtigall flötet Im grünen Gebüsch; Das Abendlicht röthet Uns Gläser und Tisch. Bekränzet die Tonnen, Und zapfet mir Wein; Der Mai ist begonnen, Wir müssen uns freun! Zum Mahle, zum Mahle, Die Flaschen herbei! [Zween]2 volle Pokale Gebühren dem Mai. Er träuft auf die Blüten Sein Roth und sein Weiß; Die Vögelein brüten Im Schatten des Mais. Er schenket dem Haine Verliebten Gesang, Und Gläsern beim Weine, Melodischen Klang; Giebt Mädchen und Knaben Ein Minnegefühl, Und herrliche Gaben Zum Kuß und zum Spiel. Ihr Jüngling', ihr Schönen, Gebt Dank ihm und Preis! Laßt Gläser ertönen Zur Ehre des Mais! Es grüne die Laube, Die Küsse verschließt! Es wachse die Traube, Der Nektar entfließt! Es blühe der Rasen, Wo Liebende gehn, Wo Tanten und Basen Die Küsse nicht sehn! Ihr lachenden Lüfte, Bleibt heiter und hell! Ihr Blüten voll Düfte, Verweht nicht so schnell!
J. Lang sets stanza 1 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
J. Lang sets stanzas 1, 3, 5 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty. Besorgt durch seine Freunde Friederich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg und Johann Heinrich Voß. Carlsruhe, bey Christian Gottlieb Schmieder, 1784, pages 39-41; and with Poetische Blumenlese für das Jahr 1777. Herausgegeben von Joh. Heinr. Voß. Hamburg, bey Carl Ernst Bohn, pages 23-25.
Note: This is the version as published by Voß. The initial version of this poem, according to Hölty's manuscript, has two more stanzas and is quite different (see below).
1 Sterkel: "den"2 Lang: "Zwein"
Text Authorship:
- by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Trinklied im Mai", written 1775, first published 1777 [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 Carl Christian Agthe (1762 - 1797), "Trinklied im Mai" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Kloberg , "Trinklied im Mai", op. 5 (Drei Quartette für Männerstimmen) no. 3, published 1880 [ vocal quartet for male voices ], Leipzig, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Trinklied im Maÿ", stanza 1 [ voice and piano ], unpublished, undated [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Trinklied im Maÿ", stanzas 1,3,5 [ ttbb chorus ], unpublished, undated [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Trinklied im Mai", D 427 (1816), published 1892 [ ttb chorus ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johann Xaver Sterkel (1750 - 1817), "Trinklied im Mai", op. 40 (Sechs Lieder mit Begleitung des Piano-Forte von Hölty) no. 4 [ voice and piano ], Augsburg, Gombart, No. 290 [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) , "Cant bàquic al maig", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Drinklied in Mei", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "Drinking song in May", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chanson à boire en mai", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2004-01-12
Line count: 48
Word count: 172
Put a garland around the barrels, And pour me some wine; May has begun, We have to enjoy ourselves! The winds are settling down And are now hardly breathing; The little bees are buzzing around The blossoming tree. The nightingale is singing In the green shrubs; The evening light is giving a red glow To our glasses and table. Put a garland around the barrels, And pour me some wine; May has begun, We have to enjoy ourselves! It's time to eat - to the table - With your glasses to hand! A pair of brimming beakers Is what May deserves. Let May drip onto the blossoms, Its red and its white; The little birds are sitting on their nests In May's shadows. It sends into the grove A beloved song, And glasses filled with wine Have a melodious sound; It gives girls and lads A feeling of love, And magnificent gifts For kissing and for playing. You young people, you beautiful people, Give it thanks and praise! Let glasses ring out In honour of May! Let the foliage turn green, Seal up the kisses! Let the grape swell, Let the nectar flow! Let the lawn blossom Where lovers go, Where aunts and old maids Cannot see the kisses! You smiling breezes Remain cheerful and bright! You blossoms full of scent Do not fly off so quickly!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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), "Trinklied im Mai", written 1775, first published 1777
This text was added to the website: 2017-08-11
Line count: 48
Word count: 225