Who told you, you birches | Who told you, you birches

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by Hans Schmidt (1854 - 1923)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Wer hat euch gesagt, ihr Birken

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Wer hat euch gesagt, ihr Birken,
Schön das weiße Kleid zu wirken
Und den Kranz zu tun ins Haar,
Wie die Maid am Traualtar?

"Seit uns Sonnenstrahlen küssten,
Ist uns so, als ob wir müssten,
Da doch jeder, der verliebt,
Schön zu sein sich Mühe gibt."

Nun, so will ich mit euch Bäumen
Auch ein weißes Kleid mir säumen,
Will mir flechten einen Kranz,
Denn ich steh' in Liebe ganz.

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Text Authorship:

by Hans Schmidt (1854 - 1923) [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 Richard Barth (1850 - 1923), "Wer hat euch gesagt, ihr Birken", op. 6 (Sechs Lieder und Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1879 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]
by Hans Schmidt (1854 - 1923), "Die Birken", op. 5 no. 1, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], from Liebeslieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Who told you, you birches", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-05-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 70

Who told you, you birches

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Who told you, you birches,
To weave your white gown beautifully
And to put a wreath in your hair,
Like the maiden before the altar at her wedding?

"Ever since we were kissed by sunbeams
It seemed to us as though we simply must,
Because everyone who is in love
Takes trouble over looking beautiful."

Then I, too, will with you trees
Hem myself a white dress,
I will weave myself a wreath,
For I am utterly in love.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2009 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 Hans Schmidt (1854 - 1923)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2009-05-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 79