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from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation Singable translation by John Bernhoff (flourished 1890-1912)

Veleť, vtáčku
Language: Czech (Čeština) 
Our translations:  DUT DUT ENG
Veleť, vtáčku, veleť 
přes te hore, dole,
Veleť, vtáčku, veleť 
přes ten zábrdovské les,

Ach, kýž je mně možná,
k tomu věc podobná 
s mým synečkem,
s mým synečkem mluvit dnes!

A mně néní možná,
ani věc podobná,
a mně néní možná,
daleko sme vod sebe!

Ty můžeš mět hinó,
já také hiného,
zapomenem na sebe.

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , from a collection of Moravian folk songs compiled by František Sušil [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 Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1904), "Veleť, vtáčku", op. 29b no. 2, B. 60 no. 2 (1876) [ duet for soprano and alto with piano ], from Moravské dvojzpevy II. rada, no. 2, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1904), "Veleť, vtáčku", B. 107 no. 4 (1880) [ women's chorus ], from Ženské sbory, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Josef Srb-Debrnov (1836 - 1904) ; composed by Antonín Dvořák.
      • Go to the text.

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

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lidy van Noordenburg) , "Vlieg, vogeltje, vlieg", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Corien Sleeswijk) , "Vlieg, vogeltje...", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (John Bernhoff) , "Speed thee, swallow..."
  • ENG English (Patrick Corness) , "Fly high, birdie", copyright © 2023, (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: 15
Word count: 56

Speed thee, swallow...
Language: English  after the Czech (Čeština) 
Speed thee, swallow,
speed thee o'er the hills and valleys,
speed thee, swallow,
speed thee to the home where I was born.
Where I first did meet him,
fondly there did greet him,
whom I miss,
now long to kiss,
and faith have sworn;
whom I miss and faith have sworn.
Since I ne'er may kiss thee,
thou must ever miss me,
since thou e'er must miss me,
I may never kiss thee more;
since I evermore must miss thee
whom my soul did once adore!
Love another lassie, I another laddie!
An the past be,
an the past be then forgot,
ours shall be a happy lot!

From a Dvořák score (Simroch 1928)

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by John Bernhoff (flourished 1890-1912), "Speed thee, swallow..." [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Czech (Čeština) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , from a collection of Moravian folk songs compiled by František Sušil
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Harry Joelson

This text was added to the website: 2010-12-14
Line count: 20
Word count: 108

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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