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by Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé
Vöglein Schwermut
Language: German (Deutsch)
Ein schwarzes Vöglein fliegt über die Welt, das singt so todestraurig... [Wer es hört, der hört nichts anderes mehr,]1 wer es hört, der tut sich ein Leides an, der mag [keine Sonne]2 mehr schauen. Allmitternacht ruht es [sich]3 aus auf [dem Finger]4 des Tods. Der [streichelt's leis]5 und spricht ihm zu: "Flieg, mein [Vögelein!]6 flieg, mein [Vögelein!]6" [Und wieder fliegt's flötend]7 über die Welt.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 omitted by Petersen.
2 Zeisl: "die Sonne nicht"
3 omitted by Wolff
4 Zemlinsky: "den Fingern"
5 Zeisl: "streichelt es"
6 Zemlinsky: "Vögelchen!"
7 Wolff: "Und wieder fliegt's Vögelein"; Zeisl: "Vögelein Schwermut fliegt"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
1 omitted by Petersen.
2 Zeisl: "die Sonne nicht"
3 omitted by Wolff
4 Zemlinsky: "den Fingern"
5 Zeisl: "streichelt es"
6 Zemlinsky: "Vögelchen!"
7 Wolff: "Und wieder fliegt's Vögelein"; Zeisl: "Vögelein Schwermut fliegt"
Text Authorship:
- by Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914), "Vöglein Schwermut", appears in Auf vielen Wegen, in Vom Tagwerk des Todes [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 Clemens von Franckenstein (1875 - 1942), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 46 (Vier Lieder) no. 2, published c1926 [ voice and piano ], Wien: Universal-Edition A. G. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Gál (1890 - 1987), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 33 (Fünf Lieder) no. 3 (1917), published 1929 [ medium voice and piano ], N, Simrock, Berlin [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Harald Genzmer (1909 - 2007), "Vöglein Schwermut", 1940-87 [ baritone or soprano and piano ], from Acht Lieder nach verschiedenen Dichtern [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinz Holliger (b. 1939), "Vöglein Schwermut", 1956/7, rev. 2003 [ soprano and piano or orchestra ], from Sechs Lieder nach Gedichten von Christian Morgenstern, no. 4, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Yrjö Henrik Kilpinen (1892 - 1959), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 62 no. 1 (1928), from Lieder um den Tod, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wilhelm Petersen (1890 - 1957), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 41 (Vier Lieder) no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Heinz Scholtys (1900 - 1945), "Vöglein Schwermut" [ voice and piano ], from 94 Lieder, no. 33 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Richard Gustav) Heinz Tiessen (1887 - 1971), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 23 no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest Vietor (flourished 1905-1930), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 5 (Five Songs) no. 2 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Weigl (1881 - 1949), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 26 (2 Frauenchöre a cappella) no. 1 (1918-9), published 1933 [ four-part women's chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Paul Weingartner (1863 - 1942), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 39 no. 2 (1906) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erich J. Wolff (1874 - 1913), "Vöglein Schwermut", Lieder no. 16, published 1914 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Stefan Wolpe (1902 - 1972), "Vöglein Schwermut", 1920 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erich Zeisl (1905 - 1959), "Vöglein Schwermut", 1929 [ alto and piano ], unpublished [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), "Vöglein Schwermut", op. 10 (Sechs Lieder und Gesänge) no. 3 (1901?), from Ehetanzlied und andere Gesänge, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John H. Campbell) , "Melancholy bird", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Mélancolie du petit oiseau", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 64
Mélancolie du petit oiseau
Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)
Au-dessus du monde, vole un petit oiseau noir qui chante avec une tristesse mortelle ... Celui qui l'entend n'écoute plus rien d'autre, celui qui l'entend ressent un mal et ne peut plus voir aucun soleil. Au milieu de la nuit il se repose sur les doigts de la mort. Elle le caresse doucement et lui dit : « Vole mon petit oiseau ! vole mon petit oiseau ! » Et en chantant il repart voler au-dessus du monde.
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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914), "Vöglein Schwermut", appears in Auf vielen Wegen, in Vom Tagwerk des Todes
This text was added to the website: 2011-07-23
Line count: 10
Word count: 74