The plum tree | In the yard stands a plum tree

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by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Pflaumenbaum

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Im Hofe steht ein Pflaumenbaum
Der ist klein, man glaubt es kaum.
Er hat ein Gitter drum
So tritt ihn keiner um.

Der Kleine kann nicht größer wer'n.
Ja größer wer'n, das möcht er gern.
'ist keine Red davon
Er hat zu wenig Sonn.

Den Pflaumenbaum glaubt man ihm kaum
Weil er nie eine Plaume hat
Doch er ist ein Pflaumenbaum
Man kennt es an dem Blatt.

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Text Authorship:

by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956) [author's text not yet checked 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 Henri Delnooz , "Der Pflaumenbaum", 1975, from Drie kinderliederen, uit de 'Svendborger Gedichte', no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Paul Dessau (1894 - 1979), "Der Pflaumenbaum", 195-?, from Fünf Kinderlieder [sung text not yet checked]
by Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Der Pflaumenbaum", 1937 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Der Pflaumenbaum", 1960 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Portuguese (Português), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , copyright © ; composed by Eduardo Guimarães Alvares.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The plum tree", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 67

The plum tree

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

In the yard stands a plum tree.
It is so small that one can hardly believe it.
It has a little fence around it
So that no one steps on it.
The little one cannot get bigger.
Ah, to grow bigger, that's what he would like.
But there is no question of that.
It gets too little sun.
People hardly believe it is a plum tree
Because it never has any plums.
Yet it is a plum tree.
You can recognize it by the leaves.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 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 Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 85