Scent of violets | Why the scent of the violets is so lovely

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Veilchenduft

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Warum der Veilchenduft so hold,
Das weiß nur ich und Eine;
Dort blitzt es noch im Morgengold,
Ihr Häuschen überm Rheine! 

So lang ist's her! Doch kommt die Zeit
Mir nimmer aus dem Sinne;
Da ging mit aller Seligkeit
Mir auf der Jugend Minne! 

Und wenn die Veilchen wieder blühn
Und ihren Duft versenden,
Die Eine seh mit holdem Glühn
Ich stets den Strauß mir spenden. 

Jahr aus, Jahr ein vergeß' ich's nicht;
Mit jedem neuem Merzen
Strahlt mir der ersten Liebe Licht
Wie einst, wie einst im Herzen! 

Drum wie der Veilchenduft so hold,
Das weiß nur ich und Eine;
Ihr Lüfte, grüßt im Morgengold
Die Eine, die ich meine!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 224-225.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Veilchenduft", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 254 [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 Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Veilchenduft" [sung text checked 1 time]
by (Peter) Nicolai von Wilm (1834 - 1911), "Veilchenduft", op. 52 (Drei Gesänge für gemischten Chor) no. 2, published 1885 [ mixed chorus ], Bremen, Praeger & Meier [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Scent of violets", 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: 2017-11-23
Line count: 20
Word count: 111

Scent of violets

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Why the scent of the violets is so lovely,
Only I and one other know;
There in the gold of morning still 
Sparkles her house above the Rhine!

It is so long ago! But that time 
Is never out of my mind;
There, with all bliss,
Youthful love dawned for me!

And when the violets bloom again
And send out their scent,
I always see the one, with a lovely glow, 
Presenting me with the [violet] bouquet.

Year in, year out, I do not forget it:
With every new March
The light of my first love shines
As back then in my heart, as back then!

Thus, why the scent of the violets is so lovely,
Only I and one other know;
Ye breezes, greet in the morning gold
The one whom I mean!

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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Veilchenduft", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 254
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-06-02
Line count: 20
Word count: 134