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by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Trinklied im Mai
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Bekränzet die Tonnen,
Und zapfet mir Wein,
Der Mai ist begonnen,
Wir müßen uns freun!
Die Winde verstummen,
Und athmen noch kaum;
Die Bienlein umsummen
Den blühenden Baum.

Die Nachtigall flötet
Im grünen Gebüsch;
Das Abendlicht röthet
Uns Gläser und Tisch.
Bekränzet die Tonnen,
Und zapfet mir Wein,
Der Mai ist begonnen,
Wir müßen uns freun!

Zum Mahle, zum Mahle
Die Flaschen herbei!
Zween volle Pokale
Gebühren dem Mai.
Er träuft auf die Blüthen
Vergoldetes Roth;
Die Vögelein brüten,
Weil er es gebot.

Verleihet dem Haine
Verliebten Gesang;
Und Gläsern, beim Weine,
Melodischen Klang.
Giebt Mädchen und Knaben
Ein Minnegefühl,
Und herrliche Gaben
Zum Kuß und zum Spiel.

Den Liebling begrüßet
Der Hain und die Flur;
In Wonne zerfließet
Die ganze Natur.
Zum Mahle, zum Mahle
Die Flaschen herbei!
Zween volle Pokale
Gebühren dem Mai.

Ihr Brüder, ihr Brüder,
Was zaudert ihr hier?
Jauchzt fröhliche Lieder,
Und trinket mit mir!
Es grüne die Laube,
Die Küße verschließt;
Es wachse die Traube,
Der Nektar entfließt!

Nie mangle dem Zecher,
Des Mais sich zu freun,
Ein blinkender Becher,
Und rheinischer Wein!
Ein Kuß ist noch süßer,
Und macht uns gesund.
Drum fehle dem Küßer
Kein purpurner Mund!

Tönt fürder, ihr Haine,
Wenn Phoebus entflieht,
Zu unserem Weine
Eur wirbelndes Lied!
Ihr luftigen Räume,
Bleibt heiter und hell;
Ihr blühenden Bäume,
Verblüht nicht so schnell!

Confirmed with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty. Nebst Briefen des Dichters herausgegeben von Karl Halm. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus. 1869, pages 176-178.

Note: This is the initial version of Hölty's poem as passed down from his manuscript.


Text Authorship:

  • by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Trinklied im Mai", written 1775 [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):

    [ None yet in the database ]

Set in a modified version by Carl Christian Agthe, Carl Kloberg, Josephine Lang, Franz Peter Schubert, Johann Xaver Sterkel.

    • Go to the text. [ view differences ] CAT DUT ENG FRE

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Maytime drinking song", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-07-25
Line count: 64
Word count: 222

Maytime drinking song
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Garland the casks
And draw me some wine,
May has begun,
We must be joyful!
The winds fall mute,
And hardly breathe anymore;
The little bees buzz around
The blossoming tree.

The nightingale flutes
In the green bushes;
Evening light casts a red glow
Upon our glasses and table.
Garland the casks
And draw me some wine,
May has begun,
We must be joyful!

To the meal, to the meal
Bring the bottles!
Two full goblets 
Are appropriate for May.
Upon the blossoms May drips
Gilded redness;
The birds sit upon their eggs
Because May commanded it.

Upon the grove May bestows 
Amorous songs;
And melodious ringing
Upon the glasses of those drinking wine.
May gives maidens and lads
A feeling of love,
And wondrous gifts
For kissing and playing.

Grove and meadows
Greet their darling May;
All of nature dissolves
In bliss.
To the meal, to the meal
Bring the bottles!
Two full goblets
Are appropriate for May.

My brethren, my brethren,
Why do you hang back here?
Rejoice in joyful songs
And drink with me!
May the arbour, which holds kisses,
Grow green;
May the grapes, from which
Flows nectar, grow!

May the carousing ones,
In order to rejoice in May,
Never be short of a sparkling beaker
And of Rhine-wine!
A kiss is sweeter yet,
And makes us healthy.
Therefore may he who kisses
Never be short of a crimson mouth!

Continue sounding, ye groves,
When Phoebus has flown,
Your swirling song
To our wine-drinking!
Ye breezy expanses,
Remain merry and bright;
Ye blossoming trees,
Do not fade so quickly!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2022 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 Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Trinklied im Mai", written 1775
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2022-05-22
Line count: 64
Word count: 263

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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