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O Winter, schlimmer Winter, Wie ist die Welt so klein! Du drängst uns all' in die Täler, In die engen Hütten hinein. Und geh' ich auch vorüber An meiner Liebsten Haus, Kaum sieht sie mit dem Köpfchen Zum [kleinen Fenster]1 heraus. Und nehm ich's Herz in die Hände Und geh hinauf ins Haus: Sie sitzt zwischen Vater und Mutter, Schaut kaum zu den Äuglein heraus. O Sommer, schöner Sommer, Wie wird die Welt so weit! Je höher man steigt auf die Berge, Je weiter sie sich verbreit't. Und [stehest]2 du auf dem Felsen, Traut' Liebchen! ich rufe dir zu. Die Halle sagen es weiter, Doch Niemand hört es als du. Und halt' ich dich in den Armen Auf freien Bergeshöh'n: Wir seh'n in die weiten Lande, Und werden doch nicht geseh'n.
F. Mendelssohn sets stanzas 1-2, 4-6 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
F. Mendelssohn sets stanzas 1-4, 6 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Kreutzer: "Fenster"
2 Kreutzer: "stehst"
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Des Hirten Winterlied", written 1810, appears in Lieder [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 Constantin Decker (1810 - 1878), "O Winter, schlimmer Winter", op. 6 (Neun Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1838 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Bechtold und Hartje [sung text not yet checked]
- by Niels Wilhelm Gade (1817 - 1890), "Winterlied", 1847 [ men's chorus ], from Sechs Gesänge für Männerstimmen, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Conradin Kreutzer (1780 - 1849), "Des Hirten Winterlied", op. 24 ([Zwölf] Gedichte von Uhland), Heft 1 no. 6, published 1845 [ vocal quartet for male voices or men's chorus a cappella ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Conradin Kreutzer (1780 - 1849), "Des Hirten Winterlied", op. 23 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, KWV. 9103 no. 2, published 1821? [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Carl Adolf Lorenz, Dr. (1837 - 1923), "Hirtenlied", published 1877 [ SATB chorus or men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Hirtenlied", op. 57 no. 2, stanzas 1-2,4-6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Hirtenlied", op. posth. 88 (Sechs Lieder für gemischten Chor) no. 3 (1839), published c1850, stanzas 1-4,6 [ mixed chorus ] [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) (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Andrew Hudson) , "The shepherd's winter song", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chant d'hiver du pâtre", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Mikhail Larionovich Mikhailov) , "Пастушья песня"
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: 24
Word count: 133
O winter, wicked winter, Your world is oh so small! You crowd us into the valleys, In tiny cabins all. And even if I wander past My sweetheart's house, by chance, She hardly casts, with tiny head, Through tiny window a glance. And if I buck up my courage And visit her house on high, She sits between father and mother And hardly opens her eyes. O summer, lovely summer, How wide becomes the world! The higher one climbs up the mountains, The farther it lies unfurled. And if you stand on rocky cliffs, Dear sweetheart! My call will sound through. The echoes will gladly repeat it, Though no one will hear it but you. And I'll take you in my arms then On mountain top so free: We'll gaze in the broadening landscape, But us not a soul will see.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Andrew Hudson, (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 Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Des Hirten Winterlied", written 1810, appears in Lieder
This text was added to the website: 2013-01-18
Line count: 24
Word count: 141