Ach, wenn ich doch ein Immchen wär'
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Ach, wenn ich doch ein Immchen wär',
Frisch, flink und frei und klein und fein!
An jedem süßem Blumenblatt
Tränk' ich im Frühlingsduft mich satt.
Wie wollt' ich saugen Tag und Nacht
An all' der frischen [Blüthenpracht]1!
Husch! ging's zu allen Blumen hin,
Sie wissen schon, daß ich es bin.
Die ganze, ganze Frühlingslust
Sög' ich [so]2 ein in meine Brust,
Und hätt' ich ihn so ganz in mir,
Den Frühling, Liebchen, brächt' ich dir.
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Confirmed with
Gedichte von Wilhelm Osterwald, Dritte umgearbeitete
und vermehrte Auflage, Leipzig, Verlag von F. G. C. Leuckart (Constantin Sander), 1873, p. 2
1 Franz: "Frühlingspracht"
2 Franz: "dann"
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Wunsch", op. 423 (Vier Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1872 [ voice and piano ], Offenbach am Main: Johann André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Ach, wenn ich doch ein Immchen wär", op. 3 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 6, published 1844 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Ah, if only I were a little bee", 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: 75
Ah, if only I were a little bee
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Ah, if only I were a little bee
fresh, brisk and free and small and delicate:
from each sweet blossom
I would sip in fragrant Spring.
How would I absorb, from dawn to dusk,
Spring's refreshing splendour.
Quickly I would fly to all the flowers
and they well know that it's me.
And all the passion of Spring
I would breathe into [myself],
And once it was entirely part of me,
I would offer, my beloved, Spring to you.
Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2010-10-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 79