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Sag mir, wer einst die Uhren erfund, Die Zeitabteilung, Minuten und Stund'? Das war ein frierend trauriger Mann. Er saß in der Winternacht und sann, Und zählte der Mäuschen heimliches Quicken Und des Holzwurms ebenmäßiges Picken. Sag mir, wer einst das Küssen erfund? Das war ein glühend glücklicher Mund; Er küßte und dachte nichts dabei. Es war im schönen Monat Mai, Die Blumen sind aus der Erde gesprungen, Die Sonne lachte, die Vögel sungen.
P. Wedding sets stanza 2
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Heinrich Heines sämtliche Werke in vier Bänden, ed. Otto F. Lachmann, Erster Band, Leipzig: Philipp Reclam jun., [no year], page 247.
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Neuer Frühling, no. 25 [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 Károly Aggházy (1855 - 1918), "Sag mir, wer einst die Uhren erfund", op. 30 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1898 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kiesler [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Sag mir!", op. 38 (Sechs Lieder von Heinrich Heine) no. 4 (1867?), published 1867 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Mario van Overeem (1872 - 1946), "Sag mir, wer einst die Uhren erfund", from Neuer Frühling: 44 Lieder, no. 25 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Umlauft (1853 - 1934), "Sag mir, wer einst die Uhren erfund", op. 26 (Fünf Lieder für 1 hohe Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1886 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Wedding , "Sag mir wer einst das Küssen erfund", op. 2, published 1893, stanza 2 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Paez [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation possibly by Sergei Ivanovich Donaurov (1839 - 1897); composed by Lara de Chaban.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2011, (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
Dis-moi, qui un jour a inventé les pendules, Les divisions du temps, les minutes et les heures ? C'était un homme triste et froid, Il était assis dans la nuit de l'hiver et songeait Et comptait les couinements secrets des souriceaux Et le tic-tac régulier des vers xylophages. Dis-moi, qui un jour a inventé le baiser ? C'était une bouche rayonnante de bonheur ; Elle embrassait et ne pensait à rien d'autre, C'était au joli mois de mai, Les fleurs avaient jailli de terre, Le soleil riait, les oiseaux chantaient.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Pierre Mathé, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Neuer Frühling, no. 25
This text was added to the website: 2011-03-18
Line count: 12
Word count: 87