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by Heinrich Seidel (1842 - 1906)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Das Hummelchen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Das kleine braune Hummelchen,
Es macht ein Frühlingsbummelchen
In diese schöne Welt.
Es kneipt an allen Blümchen,
Das kleine Ungethümchen,
Und hat doch gar kein Geld.

Es füllt sich voll sein [Leibechen]1
Zu seinem [Zeitvertreibechen]2,
Und's kost't ihm keinen Deut!
Bei mir macht's gleich ein Thälerchen,
Das halt' ich für ein Fehlerchen.
Es ist 'ne böse Zeit!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   A. Bungert 

View text without footnotes

Confirmed with Gesammelte Schriften von Heirich Seidel, XIV. Band, Die Augen der Erinnerung und Anderes, Leipzig: A.G. Liebeskind, 1897, page 76.

1 Bungert: "Leibchen"
2 Bungert: "Zeitvertreibchen"

Text Authorship:

  • by Heinrich Seidel (1842 - 1906), "Das Hummelchen", appears in Lieder eines alten Mannes (1895-1896), no. 13 [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 (Friedrich) August Bungert (1845 - 1915), "Das Hummelchen", op. 59 no. 6, published 1903 [ voice and piano ], from Am Wege : Zwölf Lieder, no. 6, Leipzig: C.F. Leede [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Gerard Bunk (1888 - 1958), "Das Hummelchen", op. 22 (Sechs Lieder nach Texten verschiedener Dichter) no. 2 (1906-8) [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Fritz Fuhrmeister , "Das Hummelchen", op. 4 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 6, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Ries & Erler [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Joseph Haas (1879 - 1960), "Das Hummelchen", op. 5 (Vier Lieder) no. 1 (1906) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Lothar Kempter (1844 - 1918), "Das Hummelchen", 1919 [ voice and piano ], from Zwei Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Max Thiede (1872 - 1932), "Das Hummelchen", op. 132 (Männerchöre) no. 2, published [1912] [ men's chorus ], Freiburg: Ruckmich [sung text not yet checked]

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2020-04-20
Line count: 12
Word count: 60

The little bumble bee
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The little brown bumble bee,
It takes a little springtime [shopping] stroll
In this beautiful world.
It drinks at all the little flowers,
The little monster,
And yet it has no money.

It fills its little body,
By way of passing the time,
And it does not cost it a farthing!
When I go, it immediately costs me a shilling;
I consider that a mistake.
These are evil times!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Seidel (1842 - 1906), "Das Hummelchen", appears in Lieder eines alten Mannes (1895-1896), no. 13
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 69

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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