by
Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905)
Vogelsprache
Language: German (Deutsch)
Am Feuerherd der Frieder schürt
Die Gluth mit einer Zange.
Was zischend sich im Kessel rührt,
Ist eine weisse Schlange.
Er schluckt und schlingt mit vieler Müh'
Die grause Brüh'.
Da wird's im Kopf ihm wunderlicht;
Jetzt weiss er, was der Vogel spricht.
Willkomm du lust'ger Kirschendieb!
Nun sag' mir frohe Kunde.
Hat mich mein schwarzbraun Mädel lieb
Und denkt sie mein zur Stunde?
Da sang im Kirschenbaum der Spatz:
"Dein brauner Schatz
Hat einen Buhlen schön und reich." --
Der Frieder ward wie Kreide bleich.
Drauf hat er sich aus Lindenbast
Gewunden eine Schlinge,
Die band er an den Lindenast,
Auf dass er sich erhinge.
Da sprach der Rabe mit Geschnarr:
"Du bist ein Narr!
Die Welt ist grün und schwarz das Grab."
Der Frieder schnitt sich wieder ab.
Er setzte sich auf einen Stein
Und hatte Weh im Herzen.
Das ungetreue Mägdelein,
Das konnt' er nicht zerschmerzen.
Da sprach im Apfelbaum der Fink:
"Trink Frieder, trink!
Der Frieder soll zu Weine gahn."
Der kluge Frieder hat's gethan.
Confirmed with Rudolf Baumbach, Spielmannslieder, Leipzig: Verlag von A. G. Liebeskind, 1883, page 37-38.
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) , "What the birds spoke", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2020-09-04
Line count: 32
Word count: 168
What the birds spoke
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
At the hearth Frieder stirs up
The fire's blaze with a pair of tongs.
Hissing in the kettle there moves
A white snake.
With great effort, he swallows and gulps down
The gruesome broth.
Thereupon his head becomes wondrously bright;
He now knows what the birds are saying.
Welcome, you merry cherry-thief!
Now tell me glad tidings.
Does my black-brown maiden love me
And is she thinking of me at this hour?
Thereupon the sparrow sang in the cherry tree:
"You brown darling
Has a lover handsome and rich." --
Frieder became chalk-pale.
From linden fiber he then
Coiled a noose for himself,
He tied it to a linden branch,
So that he might hang himself.
A raven spoke with shrill caw:
"You are a fool!
The world is green and black the grave."
Frieder cut himself down again.
He sat himself down upon a rock
With pain in his heart.
He could not get over
The faithless maiden.
In the apple tree a finch spoke:
"Drink, Frieder, drink!
Frieder should betake himself to wine."
And clever Frieder did so.
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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2020-09-04
Line count: 32
Word count: 179
