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[Bei Nacht im Dorf]1 der Wächter rief:
Elfe!
Ein ganz kleines Elfchen im Walde schlief --
Wohl um die Elfe! --
Und meint, es rief ihm aus dem Tal
Bei seinem Namen die Nachtigall,
Oder Silpelit hätt' ihm gerufen.
Reibt sich der Elf' die Augen aus,
Begibt sich vor sein Schneckenhaus
Und ist als wie ein trunken Mann,
Sein Schläflein war nicht voll getan,
Und humpelt also tippe tapp
Durch's Haselholz in's Tal hinab,
Schlupft an der Mauer hin so dicht,
Da sitzt der Glühwurm Licht an Licht.
»Was sind das helle Fensterlein?
Da drin wird eine Hochzeit sein:
Die Kleinen sitzen bei'm Mahle,
Und treiben's in dem Saale.
Da guck' ich wohl ein wenig 'nein!«
-- Pfui, stößt den Kopf an harten Stein!
Elfe, gelt, du hast genug?
Gukuk! Gukuk!
1 Hetsch: "Des Nachts im Dorfe"; further changes may exist not shown above.
Text Authorship:
- by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Elfenlied" [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 Karl Ludwig Friedrich Hetsch (1806 - 1872), "Elfenlied", op. 8 (Drei Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran oder Bariton mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1846 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone or tenor and piano ], Hamburg, Schuberth und Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Friedrich Rauchbauer (b. 1958), "Elfenlied", 1987, from Fünf Gesänge nach Gedichten von Eduard Mörike, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Franz Schieri (1922 - 2009), "Elfenlied", 1993 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Elfenlied", from Mörike-Lieder, no. 16 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cançó de l’elf", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Elf song", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant de l'elfe", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Comptine de l'elfe", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Canto dell'elfo", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Gianni Franceschi) , "Canzone dell'Elfo", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Lourdes Leon) , "La canción del duende (elfo) ", copyright ©, (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: 23
Word count: 129
De nit al poble, el vigilant cridà: Elfe! Són les onze! Un petit elf dormia al bosc, eren tot just les onze! I pensà que des la vall el cridava pel seu nom el rossinyol, o que Silpelit l’havia cridat. L’elf es fregà els ulls, sortí de la seva closca de cargol i semblava un home embriac car no havia dormit prou, i d’aquesta manera, ranquejant, tip tap, travessà l’avellaneda per baixar a la vall, lliscà ben arrambat a la paret on hi havia tot de lluernes refulgents. “Què són aquestes finestres il•luminades? A dins hi ha potser un casament: la gent seu al banquet i fan gatzara a la sala. Donaré una ullada a dintre!” Ui, es donà un cop de cap a la dura pedra! Elf, no et sembla que ja n’has tingut prou? Cu-cu! Cu-cu!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2019 by Salvador Pila, (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 Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Elfenlied"
This text was added to the website: 2019-09-29
Line count: 23
Word count: 138