Mädel, laß das Stricken -- geh,
thu den Strumpf bei Seite heute;
das ist was für alte Leute,
für die Jungen blüht der Klee!
Laß, mein Kind,
komm, mein Schätzchen!
siehst du nicht, der Abendwind
schäkert mit den Weidenkätzchen . . .
 
Mädel, liebes, sieh doch nicht
immer so bei Seite heute;
das ist was für alte Leute,
junge seh'n sich ins Gesicht!
Komm, mein Kind,
sieh doch, Schätzchen:
über uns der Abendwind
schäkert mit den Weidenkätzchen . . .
 
Siehst du, Mädel, war's nicht nett
so an meiner Seite heute?
Das ist was für junge Leute,
alte gehn allein zu Bett! --
Was denn, Kind?
weinen, Schätzchen?
Nicht doch -- sieh der Abendwind
schäkert mit den Weidenkätzchen . . .

Original confirmed with Moderner Musen-Almanach auf das Jahr 1893. Herausgeber (editor) Otto Julius Bierbaum, München: Druck und Verlag von Dr. E. Albert & Co., 1894, pages 216-217.

Text Authorship:

• by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Nicht doch!" [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 Heinrich Kaspar Schmid (1874 - 1953), "Nicht doch!", op. 49 (Drei Männerchöre) no. 2, published 1926 [ men's chorus a cappella ], Mainz : Schott [sung text not yet checked]
• by Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), "Nicht doch!", 1894-1903, from 7 frühe Lieder, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Otto Vrieslander (1880 - 1950), "Nicht doch!" [sung text not yet checked]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "No ho facis!", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Don't", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Linda Godry) , "Don't", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , "Please don't!", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Pas possible!", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 118

Girl, stop knitting, come on,
put the stocking away today;
this is something for the old folks,
for the young the clover blooms!
Leave it, my girl,
come on, my dear;
Can't you see the evening breeze
flirting with the willow catkins!

Lassie, dear, don't always
look aside today;
this is something for the old folks,
the young look each other in the face!
Come on, my girl,
just look, my dear;
above us the evening breeze
flirts with the willow catkins!

Don't you see, my girl, wasn't it nice
today by my side?
This is something for the young,
old folks go to bed alone.
What's up, girl?
Weeping, dear?
Stop it! Look, the evening breeze
flirts with the willow catkins.