Unter der Linden, 
bei der Heide,
[Da]1 unser beider Bette was, 
Da [könnet]2 ihr finden, 
wie wir beide
Die Blumen brachen und das Gras.
[Vor dem]3 Wald in einem Tal!
Tandaradei 
Sang so [süß]4 die Nachtigall. 

Kam da gegangen 
hin zur Aue 
Und mein Liebster war schon da. 
Da ward ich empfangen, 
hehre Fraue,
O welches Glück, daß ich ihn sah! 
Ob er mich küßte? So manche Stund!
Tandaradei 
Seht, wie rot mir ist der Mund! 

Da hat er gemachet 
schnell bei Scherzen
von Blumen reich die Ruhestatt; 
Ja, mancher noch lachet 
von ganzem Herzen,
Wenn er kommt denselben Pfad.
An den Rosen er wohl mag --
Tandaradei 
Merken, wo das Haupt mir lag.

Wüßte das einer, 
daß geblieben
Er bei mir, ich schämte mich. 
O wollte doch keiner, 
was wir trieben
Erfahren je, nur er und ich.
Und ein kleines Vögelein --
Tandaradei 
Das wird wohl verschwiegen sein!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Walthers von der Vogelweide Sämmtliche Gedichte. Aus dem Mittelhochdeutschen übertragen von Karl Pannier, Leipzig, Reclam, 1876, p. 25.

¹ omitted by Humperdinck
² Humperdinck, Pfitzner: "könnt"
³ Humperdinck: "am grünen"
⁴ Humperdinck, Pfitzner: "schön"

Text Authorship:

• by Karl Pannier (1854 - 1931), "Unter der Linden" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

• a text in Mittelhochdeutsch by Walther von der Vogelweide (1170? - 1228?), "Under der linden"
  • Go to the text page.

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

• by Engelbert Humperdinck (1854 - 1921), "Unter der Linde" [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Hans Erich Pfitzner (1869 - 1949), "Unter der Linden", op. 24 (Vier Lieder für eine Singstimme) no. 1 (1909), published 1909 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Under the Linden", copyright ©
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: John Versmoren , Rudi Spring

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 151

 Under the linden, by the heath,
 there we made our bed;
 there you might discover us,
 breaking both flowers and grass
 in the valley before the woods!
 "Tandarei,"
 the nightingale sang so sweetly.
 
 I came out to the meadow;
 and my sweetheart was already there.
 He greeted me as a noble lady,
 O what happiness that I saw him!
 Did he offer me kisses? So many hours!
 "Tandarei!"
 See how red my lips are?
 
 With frolicking banter, he quickly made
 our resting-place rich with flowers;
 Yes, quite a few giggle with full heart
 to see him coming down the path with them.
 He likes roses very much -
 "Tandarei!"
 see how he wreathes them about my head!
 
 If anyone knew how long we stayed there,
 I would be ashamed.
 O would that no one knew what we
 experienced here, just he and I...
 and a little bird -
 "Tandarei!"
 - who will certainly keep a secret!