Die Möwe
Language: German (Deutsch)
Der blitzende Jänner, der ist dein Mai,
Drum hallt in den Lüften so frisch dein Schrei;
Drum hebst du die Schwingen so leicht, so schön,
Daß weithin sie schimmern herab aus den Höhn.
Drum stürzest du nieder in jähem Schuß,
Zu grüßen den dampfenden, grünen Fluß,
Und schwimmst auf den Wogen so keck durch's Eis,
Schnellst wieder zur Höh dich mit jubelndem Preis.
Und brauset der Schneesturm auch noch so kalt,
Nur heller und froher dein Jauchzen schallt;
Nur eiliger fliegst du daher, dahin,
Hinauf und hernieder mit glücklichem Sinn.
Der blitzende Jänner, der ist dein Mai,
Ei! käme wie dir, auch er mir bald herbei!
Daß mitten im Winter den Lenz wie du
Säh blühn ich, o Möwe, und schimmern im Nu!
Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 142-143.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The seagull", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Senior Associate Editor]This text was added to the website: 2025-10-13
Line count: 16
Word count: 123
The seagull
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Sparkling January, that is your Maytime,
That is why your scream echoes in the air so briskly;
That is why you lift your wings so lightly, so beautifully,
So that they shimmer from the heights over a long distance.
That is why you shoot downward in a precipitous plunge,
To greet the steaming, green river,
And swim so jauntily upon the waves through the ice,
Spring upward again on high with rejoicing praise.
And though the blizzard roars ever so coldly,
Only more brightly and happily your rejoicing resounds;
Only the more quickly you fly hither, thither,
Up and down with a happy spirit.
Sparkling January, that is your Maytime,
Ah! if, as for you, it soon came for me as well!
So that in the middle of winter, like you, oh seagull,
I suddenly saw springtime blooming and shimmering!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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:
This text was added to the website: 2025-11-07
Line count: 16
Word count: 140
