Oh childhood dream! | Oh childhood dream, you lovely dream

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

O Kindheitstraum!

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  O Kindheitstraum, du schöner Traum
Am fernen grünen Ufersaum! 
Wie eines Kirchleins Frühgeläut 
Ziehst du mir durch die Seele heut; 
Wie erster Veilchenduft so hold, 
So licht wie Frühlingsmorgengold! 

  O Kindheitstraum, du schöner Traum, 
Fern unterm weißen Blüthenbaum! 
Wie ein verwehend Scheidelied 
Der Hauch an mir vorüberzieht: 
Wann lachst mit allem Duft und Glanz, 
O Traum, du einst mir wieder ganz?

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 264.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "O Kindheitstraum!", appears in Liederbuch, in 3. Hauslieder, no. 295 [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):

by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Oh childhood dream!", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 62

Oh childhood dream!

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Oh childhood dream, you lovely dream
At the distant green shore!
Like the morning bells of a little church
You waft through my soul today;
As lovely as the first scent of violets,
As bright as the morning gold of springtime!

  Oh childhood dream, you lovely dream
Far away under the tree full of white blossoms!
Like a dissipating song of parting
The breath wafts past me:
Oh dream, when shall you someday again smile
Upon me, complete in all your scents and radiance?

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "O Kindheitstraum!", appears in Liederbuch, in 3. Hauslieder, no. 295
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-06-16
Line count: 12
Word count: 85