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Wie lieblich und fröhlich, Zu schweben, zu singen, [Von]1 glänzender Höhe Zur Erde zu blicken! Die Menschen sind thöricht, Sie können nicht [zwitschern]2. Sie jammern in Nöthen, Wir flattern gen Himmel. Der Jäger will tödten, Dem Früchte wir pickten; Wir müssen ihn höhnen, Und Beute gewinnen.
Confirmed with Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1802. Herausgegeben von A. W. Schlegel und L. Tieck. Tübingen, in der Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1802, page 135; and with Friedrich Schlegel's sämmtliche Werke. Erster Band. Gedichte. Berlin, bei Julius Eduard Hitzig, 1809, page 14.
1 Schubert: "In"2 Schlegel (1809 and later editions), and Schubert: "fliegen"
Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Schlegel (1772 - 1829), "Die Vögel", appears in Abendröte, in Erster Teil, no. 3, first published 1802 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Die Vögel", op. posth. 172 (Sechs Lieder) no. 6, D 691 (1820?), published 1865 [ voice and piano ], C. A. Spina, VN 16784, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Els ocells", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De vogels", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (David Gordon) , "Birds", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Les oiseaux", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Uccelli", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this text: David Gordon , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 46
Hoe lieflijk en vrolijk, Te zweven, te zingen, Van stralende hoogte Naar d' aarde te pinken! De mensen zijn stommerds, Zij kunnen niet vliegen. Zij klagen hun noden, Wij stijgen ten hemel. De jager wil doden, Wiens vruchten wij pikten; Wij moeten hem honen En buit zien te vinden.
Authorship:
- Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2006 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.
Lau Kanen.  Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Schlegel (1772 - 1829), "Die Vögel", appears in Abendröte, in Erster Teil, no. 3, first published 1802
This text was added to the website: 2006-05-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 49