Briskly sung | The song must indeed succeed

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Frisch gesungen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Chosen for Diff

Da muß der Sang gelingen, 
Wenn singen Jung und Alt; 
Ei ja! da muß es klingen
Frisch wie im grünen Wald!

Willkomm, willkomm, ihr Lieder, 
Mit eurem trauten Ton, 
Fürwahr, euch lernet wieder 
Der Vater von dem Sohn!

Frau Musika, die Süße, 
Stimmt selber an den Chor; 
Ach, wie die alten Grüße 
Bezaubern Herz und Ohr! 

Da muß der Sang gelingen[,] 
Wenn singen Jung und Alt:
Laßt frisch und froh es klingen, 
Frisch wie im grünen Wald!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 310.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Frisch gesungen", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 335 [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 Christian Gottlieb Belcke (b. 1796) [sung text not yet checked]
by Bernhard Bogler (1821 - 1902), "Frisch gesungen", published 1879 [ men's chorus ], in: Das Rütli. Ein Liederbuch für Männergesang, St. Gallen: Sonderegger [sung text not yet checked]
by Albert Braun (1808 - 1882) [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Gartz (1819 - 1896) [sung text not yet checked]
by Carl Maier (b. 1844) [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Schneeberger (1843 - 1906) [sung text not yet checked]
by Wilhelm Schwab (b. 1841) [sung text not yet checked]
by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Weber (b. 1819) [sung text not yet checked]
by Benedict Widmann (see Benedikt Widmann (1820 - 1910)) [sung text not yet checked]
by Johann Wolfensperger (1845 - 1906) [sung text not yet checked]

Set in a modified version by Carl Attenhofer, Benedikt Randhartinger, Hans Michael Schletterer.

Go to the text. [ view differences ] ENG

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Briskly sung", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-05-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 77

Briskly sung

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Chosen for Diff

The song must indeed succeed
When both old and young sing;
Oh yes! then it must resound
As freshly as in the green woods!

Welcome, welcome, ye songs,
With your familiar sound,
Truly, the father once again
Learns you from the son!

Mistress Music, the sweet one,
Herself strikes up the chorus;
Ah, how the old greetings
Enchant our hearts and ears!

The song must indeed succeed
When both old and young sing:
Let it resound freshly and happily,
As freshly as in the green woods!

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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Frisch gesungen", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 335
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-08-25
Line count: 16
Word count: 86