by Robert Reinick (1805 - 1852)
Translation © by Leonard J[ordan] Lehrman (b. 1949)

Wie ist doch die Erde so schön, so...
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE SPA
Wie ist doch die Erde so schön, so schön!
Das wissen die Vögelein:
Sie heben ihr leicht' Gefieder,
Und singen so fröhliche Lieder
In den blauen Himmel hinein.

Wie ist doch die Erde so schön, so schön!
Das wissen die Flüss' und [die Seen]1:
Sie [malen]2 im klaren Spiegel
Die Gärten [und Städt' und]3 Hügel,
Und die [Wolken]4, die drüber [geh'n]5!

[Und Sänger und Maler wissen es,]6
Und [Kinder und and're]7 Leut'!
Und [wer's]8 nicht malt, der singt es,
Und [wer's]8 nicht singt, dem klingt es
[In dem Herzen vor]9 lauter Freud'!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Robert Reinick's Märchen-, Lieder- und Geschichtenbuch, Bielefeld und Leipzig: Verlag von Velhagen & Klasing, 1873, page 138.

1 Blech, Brahms, Reger, Reinecke: "Seen"
2 Blech: "malen's"
3 Reger: "und"; Reinecke: "und Städte und"
4 Blech: "weißen Wolken"
5 Reinecke: "zieh'n"
6 Reinecke: "Wie ist doch die Erde so schön, so schön!"
7 Brahms: "es wissen's viel andre"; Reger: "es wissen's viel andere"; Reinecke: "wissen's viel andre"
8 Blech, Reinecke: "wer es"
9 Blech, Brahms, Reinecke: "Im Herzen vor"; Reger: "Im Herzen voll"

Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Joeché!", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Leonard J[ordan] Lehrman) , "How beautiful the earth is!", copyright © 1996, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (Addie Funk) , "How lovely the earth"
  • ENG English [singable] (C. Hugo Laubach)
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ô gué !", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Alfonso Sebastián) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 92

How beautiful the earth is!
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
 How beautiful, how beautiful the earth is!
 The little birds know that;
 They lift their airy feathers
 And sing such joyous songs,
 And sing unto the blue heavens.

 How beautiful, how beatiful the earth is!
 The rivers and lakes know this;
 They paint in their clear mirrors
 The gardens and cities and hills,
 And the clouds that drift above!

 And singers and painters know it,
 And so do many other folk;
 And he who does not paint it, sings it,
 And he who does not sing it,
 His heart rings with it in sheer joy!

Authorship:

Based on:

 
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 96