Brisk and joyful! | Learn to sing again from the beck

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Frisch und froh!

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Choose for Diff

  Vom Wildbach lernet wieder singen 
Und von dem hohen Fichtenwald! 
Laßt's aus der Brust auch wieder klingen, 
Daß frisch und froh es rings verhallt! 
  Weg, Sänger, mit der falschen Kunst, 
  Weg, weg mit allem Stubendunst! 

  Lernt von den Vögeln jauchzen wieder, 
Fürwahr, sie können's gar nicht schlecht, 
Und mahnen euch: Die frischen Lieder, 
Sie haben in der Welt noch Recht! 
  Weg, weg drum mit der falschen Kunst 
  Und mit dem leidgen Stubendunst! 

  Erfrischet in den würzgen Düften 
Und stärkt und läutert den Gesang! 
Laßt's klingen in den freien Lüften 
So recht aus vollem Herzensdrang! 
  Weg, weg mit aller falschen Kunst, 
  Und singt dem Volk zu Dank und Gunst!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 319.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Frisch und froh!", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 344 [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 Louis Röhr (b. 1821) [sung text not yet checked]
by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

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

This text was added to the website: 2026-05-14
Line count: 18
Word count: 109

Brisk and joyful!

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Choose for Diff

  Learn to sing again from the beck
And from the lofty spruce forest!
Let it once more sound from out your bosom,
So that it may echo briskly and joyfully!
  Away, singers, with false art,
  Away, away with all the fug of the indoors!

  Learn to rejoice once more from the birds,
Truly, they do it not at all badly,
And they admonish you: the fresh songs,
They still maintain their right in the world!
  Away, away, therefore, with false art
  And with the wretched fug of the indoors!

  In the spicy scents [of the outdoors] refresh
And strengthen and purify your singing!
Let it ring out in the free breezes,
Quite from out of the full urgings of your hearts!
  Away, away, therefore, with false art,
  And sing to the people with gratitude and favour!

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), "Frisch und froh!", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 344
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-09-04
Line count: 18
Word count: 137