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Der Schnee zerrinnt, Der Mai beginnt, [Die]1 Blüten keimen [Auf]2 Gartenbäumen, Und Vogelschall Tönt überall. Pflückt einen Kranz, Und haltet Tanz Auf grünen Auen, Ihr schönen Frauen, Wo [junge]3 Main Uns Kühlung streun. Wer weiß, wie bald Die Klocke schallt, Da wir des Maien Uns nicht mehr freuen: Wer weiß, wie bald Die Klocke schallt! Drum werdet froh! Gott will es so, Der uns dies Leben Zur Lust gegeben! Genießt der Zeit, Die Gott verleiht!
F. Schubert sets stanzas 1, 3, 4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty. Besorgt durch seine Freunde Friederich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg und Johann Heinrich Voß. Hamburg, bei Carl Ernst Bohn. 1783, pages 65-66; and with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty. Neu besorgt und vermehrt von Johann Heinrich Voss. Hamburg, bei Carl Ernst Bohn. 1804, pages 166-167.
This is Hölty's poem in its version posthumously printed in the editions edited by Voß. Hölty's original version differs in several verses (see below).
Note: Modern spelling would change "Klocke" to "Glocke".
1 Mendelssohn: "Und"2 Hölty (1804 edition), and Schubert: "Den"
3 Mendelssohn: "grüne"
Authorship:
- by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Mailied", written 1773, Göttinger Musenalmanach 1776, page 24, first published 1776 [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Mailied", op. 186 (Lieder und Chöre für 3 Frauenstimmen mit Pianoforte), Heft 7 (Bearbeitung nach Motiven von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy) no. 27, published 1878 [ vocal trio of female voices or three-part women's chorus and piano ], Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Blasser , "Mailied", op. 20 (Hölty-Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte), Heft 2 no. 5, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Kratochwill [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard August Grell (1800 - 1886), "Der Schnee zerrinnt, der Mai beginnt", op. 21 no. 7, published 1843 [ voice and piano? ], from [Zwölf] Kinderlieder (auch ohne Begleitung zu singen), no. 7, Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
- by Victor Hollaender (1866 - 1940), "Frühlingslied", op. 27 no. 1, published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Liebeslust und Leid. Lieder-Cyklus für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Berlin, Sulzer Nachf. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Adolf Lorenz, Dr. (1837 - 1923), "Mailied", op. 41 no. 5, published 1877 [ SATB chorus or men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Mailied", op. 41 (Sechs Lieder für Sopran, Alt, Tenor und Bass im Freien zu singen) no. 5 (1834?) [ SATB quartet ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Julius P. Peiser , "Du und der Frühling", published 1879 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 1, Berlin, Barth [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adolf Reichel (1820 - 1896), "Der Mai", op. 73 (Duette für 2 Singstimme (Sopran und Alt) mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1883 [ vocal duet for soprano and alto with piano ], Leipzig, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Max Renner , "Mailied", op. 2 (Drei Lieder für Sopran und Alt mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1885 [ vocal duet for soprano and alto with piano ], Hamburg, Cranz [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Schnee zerrinnt", D 130 (1815?), published 1892, stanzas 1,3,4 [ vocal trio ], canon, omitting lines 3-4 in each stanza [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Mailied", D 202 (1815), published 1885 [ vocal duet ], alternatively: duet for two horns [sung text checked 1 time]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Si scioglie la neve", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2010-03-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 75
The snow is melting, May is beginning, The blossoms are sprouting On the trees in the garden And the sound of birds Can be heard everywhere. Pluck a garland And hold a dance On the green meadow You beautiful women, Where young May blossoms Strew coolness over us. Who knows how soon The bell will toll! Then in May we Shall no longer be able to have fun. Who knows how soon The bell will toll! So, be happy! God wills it thus, He who gave us this life, A life given to us for enjoyment! Enjoy the time That God has made available!
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "Mailied" = "May song"Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Mailied", written 1773, Göttinger Musenalmanach 1776, page 24, first published 1776
This text was added to the website: 2016-09-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 104