At the fence | Beside the house there is a garden

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by Heinrich Seidel (1842 - 1906)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Am Zaun

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Chosen for Diff

Am Hause ist ein Garten, 
Am Garten ist ein Zaun. 
Kannst Du ein wenig warten, 
So gibt's da was zu schaun. 

Ja, wart nur, bis es dunkelt; 
Das ist die rechte Zeit. 
Nun horch nur, wie es munkelt, 
Und rauscht da nicht ein Kleid? 

Es raschelt und es knispert -- 
Fast könnte man sich graun --
Es flüstert und es wispert 
Und küsst sich über'n Zaun.

Da klappt es von Pantoffeln --
Wo steckst du denn, Marie? 
Ich sah nach den Kartoffeln 
Und nach dem Sellerie!

Confirmed with Gesammelte Schriften von Heinrich Seidel, XIV. Band, Die Augen der Erinnerung und Anderes, Leipzig: A.G. Liebeskind, 1897, pages 66-67.

Text Authorship:

by Heinrich Seidel (1842 - 1906), "Am Zaun", appears in Lieder eines alten Mannes (1895-1896), no. 7, first published 1895-1896 [author's text checked 2 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 (Friedrich) August Bungert (1845 - 1915), "Am Zaun", published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Kassel, Kramer-Bangert [sung text not yet checked]
by Mary Clement (1861 - c1907), "Am Zaun", op. 10 (Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1897 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Stern [sung text not yet checked]
by Heinrich Pfannschmidt (1863 - 1944), "Am Zaun", op. 6 (Vier Lieder im Volkston für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1898 [ medium voice and piano ], Berlin, Plothow [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "At the fence", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2019-12-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 83

At the fence

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Chosen for Diff

Beside the house there is a garden,
Along the garden there's a fence.
If you can wait a little while,
There shall be something to see there.

Yes, only wait till it grows dark;
That is the right time.
Now just listen how there is a little noise,
And does not a dress rustle there?

It rustles and it crackles --
One could almost be alarmed --
There is a whispering and a susurration
And a kissing across the fence.

Then comes a clomping of clogs --
Where on earth are you, Marie?
I was checking on the potatoes
And on the celery!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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 Heinrich Seidel (1842 - 1906), "Am Zaun", appears in Lieder eines alten Mannes (1895-1896), no. 7, first published 1895-1896
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-25
Line count: 16
Word count: 100