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Es kommt ein wundersamer Knab'
Itzt durch die Welt gegangen,
Und wo er geht, bergauf, bergab,
Hebt sich ein Glast und Prangen.
In frischem Grün steht Feld und Thal,
Die Vögel singen allzumal,
Ein Blüthenschnee und Regen
Fällt nieder allerwegen.
Drum singen wir im Wald dies Lied
Mit Hei- und Tralaleyen,
Wir singen's, weil es sprießt und blüht,
Als Gruß dem jungen Maien.
Den Mai ergötzt Gebrumm und Summ,
Ist immer guter Laune,
Drum schwirren durch den Tann herum
Die Maienkäfer braune,
Und aus dem Moos wächst schnell herfür
Der Frühlingsblumen schönste Zier,
Die weißen Glocken läuten
Den Maien ein mit Freuden.
Drum singen wir im Wald dies Lied
Mit Hei- und Tralaleyen,
Wir singen's, weil es sprießt und blüht,
Als Gruß dem jungen Maien.
Jetzunder denkt, wer immer kann,
Auf Kurzweil, Scherz und Minne;
Manch einem grauen Biedermann
Wird's wieder jung zu Sinne.
Er ruft hinüber über'n Rhein:
"Herzliebster Schatz, o laß mich ein!"
Und hüben tönt's und drüben:
Im Mai da ist gut lieben!
Drum singen wir im Wald dies Lied
Mit Hei- und Tralaleyen,
Wir singen's, weil es sprießt und blüht,
Als Gruß dem jungen Maien.
Confirmed with Josef Viktor von Scheffel, Der Trompeter von Säkkingen. Ein Sang vom Oberrhein, zweihundertfünfundvierzigste Auflage, Stuttgart: Verlag von Adolf Bonz & Comp., 1899, pages 122-123.
Text Authorship:
- by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826 - 1886), "Mailied", appears in Der Trompeter von Säkkingen, in Sechstes Stück. Wie jung Werner beim Freiherrn Trompeter ward. [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 Bade , "Mailied", published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Th. Birt , "Mailied", op. 3 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1885 [ voice and piano ], Marburg, Lorch [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Handwerg (1842 - 1918), "Mailied", op. 15 (Zwei Gesänge für vierstimmigen Männerchor) no. 1, published 1880 [ ttbb chorus ], Berlin: Raabe & Plothow [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz von Holstein (1826 - 1878), "Mailied", op. 34 no. 2, published 1875 [ SATB chorus ], from Zwei Frühlingslieder für vollen Chor (S., A., T. und B.), no. 2, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger (1839 - 1901), "Mailied", op. 48 (Vier deutsche Gesänge) no. 4 [ TTBB chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Schwalm (1845 - 1912), "Mailied", op. 53 (Drei Männerchöre) no. 3, published 1886 [ men's chorus a cappella ], Regensburg, Coppenrath [sung text not yet checked]
- by Max Stange (1856 - 1932), "Mailied", op. 25 (Drei Lieder für gemischten Chor ) no. 3, published 1889 [ mixed chorus ], Berlin, Raabe & Plothow [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "May-song", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-04
Line count: 36
Word count: 189
A wondrous lad is now coming
A-walking through the world,
And wherever he goes, up hill, down dale,
A radiance and a resplendence begins.
The field and valley stand in fresh greenness,
The birds are all singing,
A shower of blossoms and rain
Falls everywhere.
Therefore we sing this song in the forest,
With a hey and a tra-la-la,
We sing it because everything is sprouting and flowering,
As a greeting to the young month of May.
May delights in buzzing and humming,
Is ever in good spirits;
Hence brown May-bugs whirr
Around through the pine forest,
And from the moss there quickly grows
The loveliest adornment of all spring flowers,
With joy, its little white bells
Ring in the month of May.
Therefore we sing this song in the forest,
With a hey and a tra-la-la,
We sing it because everything is sprouting and flowering,
As a greeting to the young month of May.
Whoever can, now thinks
Of amusement, jest, and loving
Many a greying citizen
Finds his spirits rejuvenated.
He calls across the Rhine:
"Beloved darling, oh let me in!"
And on either side of the river one hears:
May is a good month for loving!
Therefore we sing this song in the forest,
With a hey and a tra-la-la,
We sing it because everything is sprouting and flowering,
As a greeting to the young month of May.
Translator's note: The "lad" in this poem is May (all the months are masculine in German).
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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 Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826 - 1886), "Mailied", appears in Der Trompeter von Säkkingen, in Sechstes Stück. Wie jung Werner beim Freiherrn Trompeter ward.
This text was added to the website: 2020-09-20
Line count: 36
Word count: 231