During the time before spring | Oh, how beautifully the droplets gleam

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Im Vorfrühling

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

O wie schön die Tröpflein blinken 
An den schwarzen, kahlen Zweigen! 
Vöglein sehn's, einander winken, 
Singen drauf gar lustgen Reigen: 
  Bald nun grünen Feld und Wald,
  Holder Lenz! nun kommst du bald!

Wo die Tröpflein blitzend hangen 
Und im frischen Winde beben, 
Bald die weißen Blüthen prangen 
Und der Knospen Grün daneben: 
  Weht der Nord auch rauh und kalt, 
  Holder Lenz! doch kommst du bald! 

Eh' er naht mit aller Wonne, 
Welche Lust, ihm schon zu singen! 
Strahlt sie dann, die Frühlingssonne, 
Ei! noch besser soll es klingen 
  Überall in Feld und Wald, 
  Holder Lenz! daß hell es schallt!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 16-17.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Im Vorfrühling", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 15 [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 Gustav Flügel (1812 - 1900) [sung text not yet checked]
by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "During the time before spring", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2024-08-18
Line count: 18
Word count: 99

During the time before spring

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Oh, how beautifully the droplets gleam
Upon the bare, black branches!
Birdlets see it, beckon to each other,
Sing upon the branches a very merry roundelay:
  Soon field and forest shall grow green,
  Lovely springtime! now you shall soon come!

Where the droplets hang sparkling
And tremble in the brisk wind,
Soon white blossoms shall stand resplendent,
And the green of the buds beside them:
  Though the north-wind blows roughly and coldly,
  Lovely springtime! yet you shall soon come!

Before springtime approaches with all its delights,
What joy to sing in praise of it already!
When the springtime sun then shines,
Ah! it shall ring out even better
  Everywhere in field and forest,
  Lovely springtime! so that it resounds brightly!

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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Im Vorfrühling", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 15
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-02-11
Line count: 18
Word count: 120