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Am ersten schönen Tage, Und klingt auch sonst sein Ton, Wie grüßt im dürren Hage, Den Lenz, ihr Spatzen, schon! Und ist's auch tief im Winter noch, Was kümmert's euch, ihr jubelt doch, Und schwärmt und lärmt: juchhei! juchhei! Und fragt nicht lang, ob's schön auch sei! Wie lang die Andern warten, Euch ist es nicht zu früh; Und liegt noch Schnee im Garten, Ihr lacht der Sorg' und Müh'! Und stäubt der Wind die Federn euch, Fort lärmt und schwärmt ihr durch's Gesträuch, Und denkt: Bald wird es Frühling doch! Und jauchzt und singt nur lauter noch! Ihr Spatzen in dem Hage, Euch hab' ich's abgesehn, Wie man kann ohne Klage Froh durch den Winter gehn! Und blühn die Berg' und Thäler all, Und singt im Lenz die Nachtigall Freut selbst ihr euch des Lieds im Hain, Mag eures auch vergessen sein!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Die Deutsche Kunst in Bild und Lied, dreizehnter Jahrgang, ed. by Albert Traeger, Leipzig: J. G. Bach, 1871, page 67; also confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 7.
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Spatzenlenz", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 5, first published 1871 [author's text checked 3 times 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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Spatzenlenz", op. 423 (Vier Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1872 [ voice and piano ], Offenbach am Main: Johann André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Spatzenlenz", op. 408 (Vier Lieder für Sopran, Alt, Tenor, und Bass-stimme) no. 4, published 1872 [ SATB quartet a cappella ], Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Flügel (1812 - 1900), "Am ersten schönen Tage", op. 67 no. 3 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], Berlin: Stubenrauch [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Heiser (1816 - 1897), "Spatzenlenz" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Eduard Rohde (1828 - 1883), "Spatzenlenz", op. 99 no. 5 [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Kinderlieder für eine Singstimme und Pianoforte, vierte Sammlung, no. 5, Breslau: Hientzsch [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Röhr (b. 1821) [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Peter) Nicolai von Wilm (1834 - 1911), "Spatzenlenz" [ four-part women's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig: Pabst [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Melanie Trumbull
This text was added to the website: 2019-04-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 143
On the first clement day, And though no other tone may be sounding, In the barren grove, how ye sparrows Are already greeting springtime! And though it is still deep winter, What do you care, you rejoice nonetheless, And swarm and make noise: hurray! hurray! And do not spend time asking if the weather is good! However long the others wait, For you it is not too early; And if snow still lies in the garden, You laugh at anxiety and toil! And though the wind dusts your feathers, You carry on making noise and swarming through the bushes, And think: Soon it will nonetheless be spring! And only rejoice and sing all the louder! Ye sparrows in the grove, From you I have learned, How one may go happily Through the winter without complaint! And when the mountains and valleys are all a-bloom, And the nightingale sings in the springtime You yourselves take pleasure in its song in the grove, Though your own may be forgotten!
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Am ersten schönen Tage" = "On the first clement day"
"Spatzenlenz" = "The springtime of the sparrows"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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), "Spatzenlenz", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 5, first published 1871
This text was added to the website: 2024-06-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 167