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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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by Karel Jaromir Erben (1811 - 1870)
Translation © by Patrick John Corness

Kytice
Language: Czech (Čeština) 
Our translations:  ENG
Zemřela matka a do hrobu dána,
siroty po ní zůstaly;
i přicházely každičkého rána
a matičku svou hledaly.

I zželelo se matce milých dítek;
duše její se vrátila
a vtělila se v drobnolistí kvítek,
jím mohylu svou pokryla.

Poznaly dítky matičku po dechu,
poznaly ji a plesaly;
a prostý kvítek, v něm majíc útěchu,
mateřídouškou nazvaly. -

Mateřídouško vlasti naší milé,
vy prosté naše pověsti,
natrhal jsem tě na dávné mohyle -
komu mám tebe přinésti?

Ve skrovnou já tě kytici zavážu,
ozdobně stužkou ovinu;
do šírých zemí cestu ti ukážu,
kde příbuznou máš rodinu.

Snadže se najde dcera mateřina,
jí mile dech tvůj zavoní;
snadže i najdeš některého syna,
jenž k tobě srdce nakloní!

Text Authorship:

  • by Karel Jaromir Erben (1811 - 1870), "Kytice", appears in Kytice z pověstí národních [author's text checked 1 time 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):

    [ None yet in the database ]

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

  • ENG English (Patrick John Corness) , "A Posy", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Patrick John Corness

This text was added to the website: 2025-07-31
Line count: 24
Word count: 113

A Posy
Language: English  after the Czech (Čeština) 
A mother died and in her grave they laid her;
she left behind orphaned children,
and every single morning they returned there,
they came seeking their mum again.

The mother grieved for them, her dear beloved;
her soul returned to them anon;
flowers with tiny leaves she inhabited, 
with them her burial place was strewn.

By her breathing the little ones knew at once
their mother and they were joyful;
so the simple flower that gave them solace
they gave the name of mother’s soul.

O mother’s soul of our beloved homeland,
you simple old folk tales of ours,
I have plucked many of you on that old mound—
who’ll I give you to, dear flowers?

I will tie you into a modest nosegay,
with ornamental ribbon bound;
and to distant lands I will show you the way,
where you will have your kin around.

There some mother’s daughter will surely be found
who will delight in your sweet scent,
a son will also be around, I’ll be bound
who’ll dedicate to you his heart.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Czech (Čeština) to English copyright © 2025 by Patrick John Corness, (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 Czech (Čeština) by Karel Jaromir Erben (1811 - 1870), "Kytice", appears in Kytice z pověstí národních
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2025-08-08
Line count: 24
Word count: 175

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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