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Wie war so schön doch Wald und Feld! Wie ist so traurig jetzt die Welt! Hin ist die schöne Sommerzeit, Und nach der Freude kam das Leid. Wir wußten nichts von Ungemach, Wir saßen unterm Laubesdach Vergnügt und froh beim Sonnenschein, Und sangen in die Welt hinein. Wir armen Vöglein trauern sehr: Wir haben keine Heimat mehr, Wir müssen jetzt von hinnen fliehn Und in die weite Fremde ziehn.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1798 - 1874), "Abschiedslied der Zugvogel", appears in Kinderlieder [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 Ludwig Erk (1807 - 1883), "Abschied der Zugvögel", published 1873 [ voice and piano ], from Alte und neue Kinderlieder von Hoffmann von Fallersleben, no. 23 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Abschiedslied der Zugvögel", op. 63 (Sechs Duette) no. 2 [ duet ]
Score: IMSLP [external link] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Siân Goldthorpe) (Christian Stein) , "The migrants' farewell song", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant d'adieu des oiseaux migrateurs", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Siân Goldthorpe
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 69
Oh how lovely were the woods and fields! How sad the world is now! The beautiful summertime is gone, And after joy came sorrow. We knew nothing of pain, We sat under the leafy canopy Content and joyful in the sunshine, And sang out into the world. We poor birds mourn so, We no longer have a home, We must now flee from here, Into the wide unknown.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Siân Goldthorpe and Christian Stein, (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.
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1798 - 1874), "Abschiedslied der Zugvogel", appears in Kinderlieder
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 68