Es ist so süß, zu scherzen
Mit Liedern und mit Herzen
Und mit dem ernsten Streit.
Erglänzt des Mondes Schimmer,
Da treibt's mich fort vom Zimmer
Durch Platz und Gassen weit;
Da bin zur Lieb' ich immer
Wie zum Gefecht bereit.

Die Schönen von Sevilla
Mit Fächern und Mantilla
Blicken den Strom entlang;
Sie lauschen mit Gefallen,
Wenn meine Lieder schallen
Zum Mandolinenklang,
Und dunkle Rosen fallen
Mir vom Balkon zum Dank.

Ich trage, wenn ich singe,
Die Zither und die Klinge
[Von Toledanischem]1 Stahl.
Ich sing' an manchem Gitter 
Und höhne manchen Ritter
Mit keckem Lied zumal,
[Der Dame]2 gilt die Zither,
Die Klinge dem Rival.

Auf denn zum Abenteuer!
Schon losch der Sonne Feuer
[Hinter den Bergen]3 aus;
Der Mondnacht Dämmrungsstunden,
Sie bringen Liebeskunden,
Sie bringen blut'gen Strauß;
Und Blumen oder Wunden
Trag' morgen ich nach Haus.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Emanuel Geibels Gesammelte Werke in acht Bänden. Erster Band. Jugendgedichte. -- Zeitstimmen. -- Sonette., Stuttgart, Verlag der J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1883, pages 19-20.

¹ Schumann: "Vom Toledan'schen"
² Schumann: "Den Damen"
³ Schumann: "Jenseits der Berge"

Authorship

• by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Der Hidalgo", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lübeck und Bonn [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 Fritz Fürst , "Der Hidalgo", published 1894 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Wien, Lewy [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ferdinand Gumbert (1818 - 1896), "Der Hidalgo", op. 37 (Drei Lieder von Geibel und Heine) no. 2, published 1850 [ bass or baritone and piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen [sung text not yet checked]
• by Eduard Lassen (1830 - 1904), "Der Hidalgo", published 1869 [ baritone and piano or orchestra ], from Drei Lieder für Bariton, no. 3, Breslau, Hainauer [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Michael Schletterer (1824 - 1893), "Der Hidalgo", op. 3 no. 3, published 1852 [ voice and piano ], from 3 Lieder von E. Geibel, no. 3, Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Der Hidalgo", op. 30 no. 3 (1840), published 1841 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel, no. 3, Berlin, Bote und Bock [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Friedrich Hieronymus Truhn (1811 - 1886), "Der Hidalgo", op. 38 no. 2, published 1840 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder aus Spanien , no. 2, Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hermann Wichmann (1824 - 1905), "Der Hidalgo", op. 25 no. 11, published 1860 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder-Album, no. 11, Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El "hidalgo"", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De hidalgo", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The hidalgo", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "L'hidalgo", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Bertram Kottmann , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 139

 It is so sweet to play
 with songs and with hearts
 and with serious war!
 When the moon's gleam shines,
 it draws me from my room
 through the squares and streets;
 For Love I am always
 ready, just as I am for battle.
 
 The fair ladies of Seville
 with their fans and mantillas
 gaze along the river;
 they listen with pleasure
 when my songs peal forth
 to the strums of the mandoline.
 And dark roses fall
 to me in gratitude from the balconies.
 
 I carry, when I sing,
 the zither and the sword
 of Toledo steel.
 I sing at many grilles,
 and sneer at many knights
 many times with my bold song;
 my zither is for the ladies,
 my sword for my rival.
 
 Off then, to adventure!
 already the sun's fire has gone out;
 it is on the other side of the mountains.
 The twilight hours of moon-lit night
 will bring tidings of love,
 wll bring bloody combat;
 and flowers or wounds
 I will bear home tomorrow.