Die Schwalbe fliegt,
Der Frühling siegt,
Und spendet uns Blumen zum Kranze!
Bald huschen wir 
Leis' aus der Thür,
Und fliegen zum prächtigen Tanze!

  Ein schwarzer Bock,
Ein Besenstock,
Die Ofengabel, der Wocken,
Reißt uns geschwind,
Wie Blitz und Wind,
Durch sausende Lüfte zum Brocken!

  Um Beelzebub
Tanzt unser Trupp
Und küßt ihm die kralligen Hände!
Ein Geisterschwarm
Faßt uns beim Arm,
Und schwinget im Tanzen die Brände!

  Und Beelzebub
Verheißt dem Trupp
Der Tanzenden Gaben auf Gaben:
Sie sollen schön
In Seide gehn
Und Töpfe voll Goldes sich graben!

  Ein Feuerdrach'
Umflieget das Dach,
Und bringet uns Butter und Eier!
Die Nachbarn [sehn]1
Die Funken wehn,
Und schlagen ein Kreuz vor dem Feuer!

  Die Schwalbe fliegt,
Der Frühling siegt,
[Und Blumen entblühn um die Wette]2!
Bald huschen wir 
Leis' aus der Thür,
[Und lassen die Männer im Bette]3!

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Confirmed with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty, Besorgt durch seine Freunde Friederich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg und Johann Heinrich Voß, Carlsruhe: bey Christian Gottlieb Schmieder, 1784, pages 140-141.

¹ Lang, Mendelssohn, Weigl: "dann seh'n"
² Lang: "Die Blumen erblühn um die Wette"; Mendelssohn, Weigl: "Die Blumen erblühen zum Kranze"
³ Mendelssohn, Weigl: "Juchheissa zum prächtigen Tanze"

Text Authorship:

• by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Hexenlied" [author's text checked 2 times 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 Gustav Blasser , "Hexenlied", op. 20 (Hölty-Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte), Heft 2 no. 8, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Kratochwill [sung text not yet checked]
• by Friedrich Gottlob Fleischer (1722 - 1806), "Hexenlied", published 1766? [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Heinrich XIV, Graf Bolko von Hochberg (1843 - 1926), "Hexenlied", op. 32 (Fünf Lieder für dreistimmigen Frauenchor mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1886 [ three-part women's chorus and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
• by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Hexenlied", op. 80 no. 2, published 1846 [ vocal trio for three sopranos with piano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
• by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Hexenlied", op. 1 (Acht deutsche Lieder) no. 6 (1828), published 1831 [ voice and piano ], München, Falter und Sohn, note: published without an opus number; designated by Lang in 1867 as opus 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "And'res Maienlied", alternate title: "Hexenlied", op. 8 (Zwölf Gesänge [nos. 2, 3, and 12 are by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel]) no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Karl Weigl (1881 - 1949), "Hexenlied", 1936 [ alto and string quartet ], from Drei Gesänge für Altstimme und Streichquartett, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cançó de les bruixes", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Heksenlied (ofwel: Ander meilied)", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , copyright © 2018
• ENG English [singable] (Vally Weigl, née Pick) (Lydia Perera)
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Chanson de sorcières", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Nicola Sfredda) , "Canto di streghe", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 139

The swallows are flying,
Spring has prevailed,
And is giving us flowers for our wreaths.
Soon we will flit 
Softly out of the door
And fly to the glorious dance!
 
A black goat, 
A broomstick,
The oven fork, the distaff,
Snap us along swiftly 
Like lightning and wind,
Through roaring winds to Brocken.
 
Around Beelzebub 
Our coven dances
And kisses him on his clawed hands.
A bevy of ghosts 
Seizes us by the arm
Swinging torches in the dance.
 
And Beelzebub 
Promises the coven
of dancers gifts upon gifts:
They will be beautiful 
Walking in silk,
And they will dig up pots full of gold.
 
A fire-breathing dragon flies 
Around the roof
And brings us butter and eggs.
The neighbours [see]1 
Sparks blowing
And they cross themselves against the fire.
 
The swallows are flying,
Spring has prevailed,
[And flowers rival each other in blooming]2.
Soon we will flit 
Softly out of the door;
[And leave the men in bed]3!