by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Schneeglöckchen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE
Die Sonne sah die Erde an,
Es ging ein milder Wind,
Und plötzlich stand Schneeglöckchen da,
Das fremde blasse Kind.

Und plötzlich brach mit Pomp und Braus
Der alte Winter auf,
Die Wolken eilten pfeilgeschwind
Zum dunklen Nord hinauf.

Eisscholle lief, Schneeflocke schmolz,
Die Stürme heulten drein,
Schneeglöckchen stand gesenkten Haupts
In dem Gewühl allein.

Ei komm! Du weißes Schwesterlein,
Wie lange willst du stehn?
Der Winter ruft, das Reich ist aus,
Wir müssen nach Hause gehn!

Und was nur rings auf Erden trägt
Die weiße Liverei,
Das schürze sich, das tummle sich
Zur Abfahrt schnell herbei!

Schneeglöckchen sah sich bebend an
Und dachte halb im Traum:
»Was soll um Winters Liverei
Der grüne, grüne Saum?

Wob ihn wohl um das weiße Kleid
Des Winters rauhe Hand?
Wo komm' ich her? wo geh' ich hin?
Wo ist mein Vaterland?«

Text 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) , "El lliri de neu", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Sneeuwklokje", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Snowdrop", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Perce-neige", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 139

Snowdrop
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The sun looked [down] upon the earth,
A mild breeze was blowing,
And suddenly a snowdrop appeared,
The strange, pale child.
 
And suddenly with pomp and a great show
Old winter decamped,
As swiftly as arrows the clouds scudded off
Toward the dark north.
 
The ice floe raced, the snowflake melted,
The storms howled,
Snowdrop stood with a bowed head
All alone in the tumult.
 
Come now! You white little sister,
How long do you propose to stand?
Winter proclaims that his reign is over;
We must go home!
 
And everything on earth that wears
The white livery
Must gird itself, must make haste
To appear quickly for the departure!
 
The snowdrop looked at herself with trembling
And, half in a dream, thought:
"What is this green, green border
Upon winter's livery?
 
Was it woven into my white dress
By the rough hand of winter?
Whence do I come? Whither do I go?
Where is my homeland?"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 by Sharon Krebs, (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: 

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-03-04
Line count: 28
Word count: 157