by Friedrich von Schlegel (1772 - 1829)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Der Knabe
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Wenn ich nur ein Vöglein wäre,
Ach wie wollt' ich lustig fliegen,
Alle Vögel weit besiegen.

Wenn ich so ein Vogel bin,
Darf ich alles alles haschen,
Und die höchsten Kirschen naschen,
Fliege dann zur Mutter hin.
Ist sie bös' in ihrem Sinn,
Kann ich lieb mich an sie schmiegen,
Ihren Ernst gar bald besiegen.

Bunte Federn, leichte Flügel,
Dürft' ich in der Sonne schwingen,
Daß die Lüfte laut erklingen,
Weiß nichts mehr von Band und Zügel.
Wär ich über jene Hügel,
Ach dann wollt' ich lustig fliegen,
Alle Vögel weit besiegen.

Confirmed with Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1802. Herausgegeben von A. W. Schlegel und L. Tieck. Tübingen, in der Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1802, page 136; and with Friedrich Schlegel's sämmtliche Werke. Erster Band. Gedichte. Berlin, bei Julius Eduard Hitzig, 1809, page 15.


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 noi", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De jongen", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The boy", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le garçon", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il fanciullo", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 92

The boy
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
If only I were a bird,
ah then how merrily I would fly,
well surpassing all the other birds.

If I were such a bird,
then I could snatch anything and everything,
and nibble on the highest cherries;
then I would fly to Mother.
If she were in a bad mood,
then I could nuzzle her lovingly
and soon subdue her severity.

Gay feathers, light wings,
I could flutter them in the sun
so that the air tinkled loudly.
I would know straps and reins no longer.
Were I over that hill,
ah, then I would fly merrily,
well surpassing all the other birds.

Text 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

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 104