Will-oo-not Sleep? | On the line where the grass is high

by Paula Dehmel (1862 - 1918)

Translation Singable translation by Addie Funk (flourished 1886-1929)

Wittewoll schlafen?

Language: German (Deutsch)

Auf der Leine, auf grünem Platz,
Hängen sieben Hemdchen und ein Latz. 
In der Ecke, wo's Spinnchen spinnt,
Liegt mit großen Augen mein Kind. 
Wittewoll schlafen? Wittewoll schlafen?

Henne macht sich ein Bett im Sand,
Fliege träumt an der Mauerwand,
Schmetterling sitzt in der Mittagsruh,
Schaukelt die Flügel auf und zu. 
Wittewoll schlafen? Wittewoll schlafen?

Suselesu, der Sonnenwind
Bläst in die Augen dem müden Kind;
Blinzeln noch will es, Spinnchen hält
Den bunten Schleier vor die Welt. 
Wittewoll schlafen? Wittewoll schlafen?

Text Authorship:

by Paula Dehmel (1862 - 1918) [author's text not yet checked 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 Leo Blech (1871 - 1958), "Wittewoll schlafen?", op. 21 no. 2, copyright © 1913 [ voice and piano ], from Acht Liedchen großen und kleinen Kindern vorzusingen, Erste Folge, no. 2, Universal Edition [sung text checked 1 time]
by Walter Gieseking (1895 - 1956), "Wittewoll schlafen?", 1934-1935 [ voice and piano ], from Kinderlieder, no. 2, Schott [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English [singable] (Addie Funk) , "Will-oo-not Sleep?"

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-29
Line count: 15
Word count: 81

Will‑oo‑not Sleep?

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

On the line where the grass is high,
Seven little gowns are hung to dry. 
In the corner where no one spies,
Lies my child with wide-open eyes. 
Will oo not sleep, pet? Will oo not sleep, pet?

Hen a bed scratches in the sand,
Fly is droning in slumberland,
Butterfly sleepily folds its wings
Resting at noon from its flutterings. 
Will oo not sleep, pet? Will oo not sleep, pet?

Lullaby lo, the noonwind mild
Blows in the eyes of my tired child;
Blinking and winking eyelids close
And into night the bright world goes. 
Will oo not sleep, pet? Will oo not sleep, pet?

From the Blech score.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation by Addie Funk (flourished 1886-1929), "Will-oo-not Sleep?" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Paula Dehmel (1862 - 1918)
- 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):

[ None yet in the database ]

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-29
Line count: 15
Word count: 106