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Es ist so still die Maiennacht, So still des Waldes Hallen; Im Grunde kühl der Bach nur wacht, Thät still vorüberwallen. Es nicken die Blumen leis im Traum, Von [gold'nen]1 Tagen rauscht's im Baum, So leise, so heimlich sacht. Horch, eine Amsel in hellem Ton Weckt durch des Waldes Schweigen: [Ihre]2 Schläfer, es glüht im Osten schon, Der Wipfel will sich neigen; Empor, o Lerche, den Himmel grüß', Schlag' in der Bläue so laut, so süß, So [fliehet]3 die Nacht davon! Noch einmal klingt's wie Alphornklang, Da, horch, ist Antwort kommen; O Amsel, hörst du nicht den Sang? Der Wald hat dich vernommen. Es ruft der Pirol so hell im Thal, Der Kukuk ruft mit [einemmal]4 Das ganze Thal entlang. [Und eine Glocke]5 fern darein Beginnet süß zu [singen]6, Und in dem Herzen süß und fein Sich alle Glocken schwingen. Das ist ein Singen, das ist ein Klang; Das klinget und singet die Welt entlang; Gott soll gelobet sein!
Confirmed with Franz Alfred Muth, Haideröslein. Ein Liederstrauß, Würzburg: Leo Wörl'sche Buch-, Kunst- und Verlagshandlung, 1870, pages 9-10.
Note for stanza 2 line 3 word 1: at least two anthologies that reprinted the poem during the author's lifetime changed "Ihre" to "Ihr"; cf. Deutsche Poesie von den Romantikern bis auf die Gegenwart, ed. by Otto Heilinghaus, 1882; and Geschichte der deutschen National-Litteratur, ed. by Gustav Brugier, 1880.
1 Köllner: "goldenen"2 Blied, Köllner, Rheinberger: "Ihr"
3 Rheinberger: "flieht"
4 Köllner: "einem Mal", Rheinberger: "einemal"
5 Rheinberger: "Der Glocke Ton von"
6 Köllner: "klingen"
Text Authorship:
- by Franz Alfred Muth (1839 - 1890), "Waldmorgen", appears in Haideröslein ; Ein Liederstrauß, in 1. Naturklänge, first published 1870 [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 Jakob Blied (1844 - 1884), "Waldmorgen", op. 27 no. 3, published 1877 [ four-part men's chorus ], from Liederkranz. Lieder-Cyclus für vierstimmigen Männerchor, no. 3, Leipzig, Merseburger [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gustav Wilhelm Ferdinand Gäbler (1846 - 1914), "Waldmorgen", op. 23 no. 4, published 1884 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Sechs Mailieder für gemischten Chor, no. 4, Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard Köllner (1839 - 1891), "Waldmorgen" [ TTBB chorus ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger (1839 - 1901), "Waldmorgen", op. 90, Heft 1 no. 1 (1875), published 1877 [ ttbb chorus a cappella ], from Vom Rhein. Sechs vierstimmige Männerchöre, no. 1, Bremen, Praeger & Meier [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Michael Schletterer (1824 - 1893), "Waldmorgen", op. 41 (Zehn Chor-Duette (im Freien zu singen)) no. 5, published 1879 [ sa chorus ], Leipzig: Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Forest morning", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Bertram Kottmann , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Melanie Trumbull , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2008-09-15
Line count: 28
Word count: 167
The May night is so still, So still the halls of the forest; Only the brook in the cool depths is awake, Quietly flowing past. The flowers are nodding quietly in their dreams, The soughing in the trees tells of golden days, So quietly, so secretly gentle. Listen, a blackbird with a bright sound Sends wakening through the forest's silence: Ye sleepers, there is already a glow in the east, The treetop wishes to bend; Up, oh lark, greet the sky, Sing in the blueness so loudly, so sweetly, Then the night shall be off! Once more it sounds like an alphorn, There, listen, an answer has come; Oh blackbird, do you not hear the singing? The forest has heard you. The oriole is calling so brightly in the valley, The cuckoo suddenly calls Along the whole valley. [And a bell]1 from afar Begins to [sing]2 sweetly, And in my heart, sweetly and delicately, All the bells swing. That is a singing, that is a tone; It rings and sings along the whole world; God shall be praised!
1 Rheinberger: "The sound of the bell"
2 Köllner: "ring"
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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Franz Alfred Muth (1839 - 1890), "Waldmorgen", appears in Haideröslein ; Ein Liederstrauß, in 1. Naturklänge, first published 1870
This text was added to the website: 2025-03-21
Line count: 28
Word count: 181