Ô doux mois de Mai | Ô doux mois de Mai, oh aie pitié

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Karl Friedrich Henckell (1864 - 1929)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

O süßer Mai!

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

O süßer Mai, o habe du Erbarmen,
o süßer Mai, dich fleh' ich glühend an:
an deiner Brust seh' ich die Flur erwarmen,
und alles schwillt, was lebt in deinem Bann;
der du so mild und huldvoll ohne Ende,
o lieber Mai, gewähre mir die Spende!

Der düstre Pilger, der in diesen Gau'n
entrann dem Eishauch winterlicher Zeit,
erkor ein Mädchen, mild wie du zu schauen,
lenzfrisch gleich dir in keuscher Herrlichkeit.
Daß wir uns lieben und in Lieb' umarmen,
Erbarmen, Mai, Holdseligster, Erbarmen!

Text Authorship:

by Karl Friedrich Henckell (1864 - 1929) [author's text not yet checked 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 Georg Schumann (1866 - 1952), "O süßer Mai", op. 44 no. 4, published 1905 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder der Liebe für Gesang und Klavier, no. 4, Berlin, Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]
by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "O süßer Mai!", op. 32 (Fünf Lieder) no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Oh dolç mes de maig!", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "O zoete mei !", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "O sweet May!", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ô doux mois de Mai", copyright © 2013, (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: 12
Word count: 84

Ô doux mois de Mai

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Ô doux mois de Mai, oh aie pitié,
Ô doux mois de Mai, je te prie avec ferveur,
Sur ton sein je vois les prairies se réchauffer,
Et se gonfler tout ce qui vit sous ton charme,
Toi qui es si infiniment doux et plein de grâces
Ô mois de Mai adoré, accorde-moi tes dons !

Le pèlerin sombre qui dans cette région
Échappé au souffle glacé des heures hivernales
A choisi une jeune fille aussi douce que toi à regarder
Aussi fraîche que le printemps que toi dans une chaste magnificence.
Pour que nous puissions nous aimer et nous embrasser,
Aie pitié, Mai, le plus adorable et béni, aie pitié !

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2013 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Karl Friedrich Henckell (1864 - 1929)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2013-06-21
Line count: 12
Word count: 110