Im Garten klagt die Nachtigall
Und [hängt]1 das feine Köpfchen nieder:
Was hilft's, daß ich so schöne Lieder
Und wundersüße Töne habe --
Solange ich [mein]2 grau Gefieder
Und nicht der Rose Schöne [habe]3!
 
Im Blumenbeet die Rose klagt:
Wie soll das Leben mir gefallen?
Was hilft's, daß vor den Blumen allen
Ich [Anmut, Duft und Schöne]4 habe --
Solang' ich nicht der Nachtigallen
Gesang und süße Töne [habe]3!
 
Mirza-Schaffy entschied den Streit.
Er sprach: Laßt [eure]5 Klagen beide,
Du Rose [mit dem duft'gen]6 Kleide,
Du Nachtigall mit [deinen Liedern]7:
Vereint zur Lust und Ohrenweide
Der Menschen euch in meinen Liedern!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Gall: "senkt"
² Gall: "das"; Bronsart: "dies"
³ Gall: "hab'"
⁴ Gall: "Schöne, Duft und Anmuth"
⁵ Gall, Bronsart: "euer"
⁶ Gall: "in duft'gem"
⁷ Gall: "deinem Lied"

Text Authorship:

• by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Die Lieder des Mirza-Schaffy, in Lieder der Klage, no. 1 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

• a text in Azerbaijani (Azərbaycan dili) by Mirzə Şəfi Vazeh (1794 - 1852) [text unavailable]
  • 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):

• by Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf (1840 - 1913), "Im Garten klagt die Nachtigall", op. 8 no. 2, published 1879 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder des Mirza Schaffy, no. 2, Leipzig, Kahnt [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Jan Karol Gall (1856 - 1912), "Im Garten klagt die Nachtigall", op. 7 no. 1, published 1883 [ vocal trio for female voices with piano ], from Zwei Lieder für drei Frauenstimmen mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 1, Leipzig, Verlag von F.E.C. Leuckart [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Ludwig Grünberger (1839 - 1896), "Im Garten klagt die Nachtigall", op. 12 no. 1, published 1876 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder des Mirza-Schaffy für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Hamburg, Berens [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Huber (1852 - 1921), "Im Garten klagt die Nachtigall", op. 58 (Fünf Gesänge für 2 Stimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1881 [ vocal duet with piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ludwig Liebe (1819 - 1900), "Nachtigall und Rose", op. 105 no. 9, published 1888 [ baritone or mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Bodenstedt-Liebe-Album, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]

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

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The nightingale laments in the garden", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-09
Line count: 18
Word count: 107

The nightingale laments in the garden
And its delicate little head droops:
What good is it that I have such beautiful songs
And such wondrously sweet sounds --
As long as I have this my grey plumage
And not the beauty of the rose!

In the flowerbed the rose complains:
How can life please me?
What good is it that more than all other flowers
I have [grace, scent, and beauty]1 --
As long as I do not have the nightingale's
Song and sweet sounds!

Mirza-Schaffy resolved the matter.
He spoke:  Leave off complaining,
You rose with your scented garments,
You nightingale with [your songs]2:
Unite yourselves in my poems
For humankind's joy and listening pleasure.