Einen Bach, der fließt 
und sich ergießt,
sanft wie ein Zephyr rauschet, 
Nymphen belauschet,
Der sich schlängelnd und lenkt, 
Blumen und Wiesen tränkt,
[schönen Reizungen schenkt,
sich in Täler versenkt:]1,
Ihm versprach die Natur, 
daß er nie verstocket,
[wenn]2 er die Schläfer dieser Flur
durch sein sanft Geräusch
zum süßen Schlafe locket.
Murmle Bach, dein gli, gla, glu,
[selbst ein Amor seufzt]3
nicht zärtlicher als du!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Gluck (opera version): "Mit der Wellen Schaum / netzt des Ufers Saum"
² Gluck (opera version): "Weil"
³ Gluck (opera version): "Amor selber seufzt"

Text Authorship:

• by Charlotte Rittberg, Gräfin , no title [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

• a text in French (Français) by Louis Hurtaut Dancourt (c1725 - 1801) [text unavailable]
  • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714 - 1787), "Lied des Meister Überschwang", 1764, from opera Die Pilger von Mekka [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714 - 1787), "Holde Frühlingszeit" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• ENG English (Linda Godry) , "Song of the master Überschwang (exuberance)", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Virtaavalle purolle", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-05-23
Line count: 16
Word count: 70

A creek, that runs 
and flows,
As Zephyr softly whispers, 
spies on nymphs,
weaving his way, 
watering flowers and meadows,
with his rippling froth 
moistening his shores,
was promised by nature,
that he would never cease to flow,
because he softly sings 
his lullaby
for the weary and exhausted
on his banks;
murmur little creek, your gli, gla, glu,
even Amor himself 
couldn't do any better!