Die Nachtigall, als ich sie fragte Warum sie nicht mehr singe, sagte: Ich singe nur, wenn süß bewegt Mein Herz voll Drang nach Liebe schlägt: Seit ich, was ich gesucht, gefunden, Ist Sehnsucht und Gesang [verschwunden]1: Doch wenn aufs neu Jasmin und Flieder Im Garten blüh'n, dann sing' ich wieder.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Aus dem Nachlasse des Mirza-Schaffy. Neues Liederbuch von Friedrich Bodenstedt, Sechzehnte Auflage, Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1891, page 79.
1 Goldmark: "geschwunden"Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Aus dem nachlasse Mirza Schaffy's: Neues Liederbuch, in 4. Cypressen und Rosen, no. 5 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Azerbaijani (Azərbaycan dili) by Mirzə Şəfi Vazeh (1794 - 1852), as Mirza-Schaffy [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Carl Goldmark (1830 - 1915), "Die Nachtigall, als ich sie fragte", op. 34 (Vier Lieder für 1 tiefe Stimme mit Pianoforte. -- für 1 hohe Stimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Liza Lehmann (1862 - 1918), "Die Nachtigall, als ich sie fragte", published 1910 [ voice and piano ], London : Joseph Williams
Score: Ball State University Digital Media Repository [external link] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Liza Lehmann.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The nightingale, when I asked it", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2014-01-27
Line count: 8
Word count: 51
Oh, tell me, Nightingale, sweet bird, Wherefore thy voice no more is heard, Our souls with rapture filling, With thy melodious trilling? I, only, sing when love inspir'd, I've found now all my heart desir'd, When Spring, sweet odors bringing, Returns, once more thou'lt hear me singing,
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Aus dem nachlasse Mirza Schaffy's: Neues Liederbuch, in 4. Cypressen und Rosen, no. 5
Based on:
- a text in Azerbaijani (Azərbaycan dili) by Mirzə Şəfi Vazeh (1794 - 1852), as Mirza-Schaffy [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Liza Lehmann (1862 - 1918), "Oh tell me, nightingale", published 1910 [ voice and piano ], Boston : Boston Music Co.
Score: Ball State University [external link] [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-04-07
Line count: 8
Word count: 47