Premonition of spring | The choirs of birds are still mute

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by Eduard Hiller (1818 - 1902)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Frühlingsahnung

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Stumm sind noch der Vögel Chöre,
Doch schon heimlich rauscht die Föhre; 
Und wer Ohren hat, der höre:
   Frühling.

Kahl noch stehen all die Äste, 
Raben sind nur ihre Gäste, 
Doch schon lispeln leise Weste: 
   Frühling.

Wohl noch keine Blüten keimen; 
Doch schon muntre Bächlein schäumen, 
Und gewiß schon Veilchen träumen: 
   Frühling.

Confirmed with Eduard Hiller, Wintergrün. Poetische Bilder aus Natur und Leben (Hochdeutsch und Dialekt), Vierte Auflage, Stuttgart: Verlag von Robert Lutz, 1897, page 4.

Text Authorship:

by Eduard Hiller (1818 - 1902), "Frühlingsahnung", subtitle: "(30. Januar.)", appears in Wintergrün. Poetische Bilder aus Natur und Leben, in Natur, in Lieder [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 Benjamin Hamma (1831 - 1911), "Frühlingsahnung", op. 63 (Sieben Lieder) no. 6, published 1885 [ soprano or tenor with piano ], Stuttgart: Arnold [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Premonition of spring", subtitle: "(January 30)", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website: 2025-08-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 52

Premonition of spring

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The choirs of birds are still mute,
But the pine is already soughing secretly;
And let him who has ears hear:
   Springtime!

All the branches are still bare,
Only ravens are their guests,
But the west winds already whisper quietly:
   Springtime!

To be sure, no blossoms are breaking yet;
But cheerful brooklets are already foaming,
And surely the violets are already dreaming:
   Springtime!

Subtitle: "(January 30)"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Eduard Hiller (1818 - 1902), "Frühlingsahnung", subtitle: "(30. Januar.)", appears in Wintergrün. Poetische Bilder aus Natur und Leben, in Natur, in Lieder
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-10-09
Line count: 12
Word count: 63