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by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
Translation © by Malcolm Wren

Der Knabe und das Immlein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE ITA
Im Weinberg auf der Höhe 
ein Häuslein steht so winde bang; 
hat weder Tür noch Fenster,
die Weile wird ihm lang.

Und ist der Tag so schwüle, 
sind all' verstummt die Vögelein,
summt an der Sonnenblume
ein Immlein ganz allein.

Lieb hat einen Garten, 
da steht ein hübsches Immenhaus:
kommst du daher geflogen? 
schickt sie dich nach mir aus?

O nein, du feiner Knabe, 
es hieß mich Niemand Boten gehn;
dieses Kind weiß nichts von Lieben, 
hat dich noch kaum gesehn.

Was wüßten auch die Mädchen,
wenn sie kaum aus der Schule sind!
Dein herzallerliebstes Schätzchen
ist noch ein Mutterkind.

Ich bring' ihm Wachs und Honig; ade!
ich hab' ein ganzes Pfund;
wie wird das Schätzchen lachen,
ihm wässert schon der Mund -

Ach, wolltest du ihr sagen,
ich wüßte, was viel süßer ist: 
nichts Lieblichers auf Erden
als wenn man herzt und küßt!

Text Authorship:

  • by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875) [author's text not yet checked 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 Hugo Distler (1908 - 1942), "Der Knabe und das Immlein", op. 19 (Mörike-Chorliederbuch), Heft 1 no. 17 (1939) [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by (Ludwig) Bernhard Hopffer (1840 - 1877), "Der Knabe und das Immlein", published 1886 [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 4, Berlin, Ries & Erler  [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Robert Kahn (1865 - 1951), "Der Knabe und das Immlein", op. 16 (Acht Gesänge und Lieder) no. 7 (1892), published 1892 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Hermann Kirchner (1861 - 1929), "Der Knabe und das Immlein", op. 14 (Drei Lieder für 1 Stimme Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1894 [ voice and piano ], Hameln, Oppenheimer [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Erich Stockmayer (1883 - 1965), "Der Knabe und das Immlein" [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Der Knabe und das Immlein", from Mörike-Lieder, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El minyó i la petita abella", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "The Lad and the Bee", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Le gamin et la petite abeille", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il ragazzo e l'ape", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 143

The Lad and the Bee
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
In a vineyard up on the hill
stands a cottage that is open to the elements.
It has neither door nor window
and time hangs heavy on it.

However the sultry the day,
even if all the birds have fallen silent,
you will hear buzzing on the sunflower.
It is a bee all on its own.

My love has a garden
in which there is a pretty beehive.
Is that where you have flown from?
Did she send you to me?

"Oh no, mate,
nobody has sent me with any message.
That child doesn't know anything about love.
She has hardly set eyes on you.

What on earth can girls know
when they have only just left school?
Your dearest little treasure
is still her mother's daughter.

I'm taking her some wax and honey.
Goodbye. I've got a whole pound.
How your little treasure is going to laugh!
Her mouth will be watering already!"

Oh, I wish you would tell her
I know something that is much sweeter.
There is nothing more loveable on earth
than having a hug and a kiss.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 by Malcolm Wren, (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 Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2006-04-06
Line count: 28
Word count: 182

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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