O Schmetterling sprich
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE
[O]1 Schmetterling sprich,
Was fliehest du mich?
Warum doch so eilig,
Jetzt fern und dann nah?
Jetzt fern und dann nah,
Jetzt hier und dann da --
Ich will dich nicht haschen,
Ich thu' dir kein Leid.
Ich thu' dir kein Leid:
O bleib allezeit!
Und wär ich ein Blümchen,
So spräch' ich zu dir,
So spräch' ich zu dir:
Komm, komm doch zu mir!
Ich schenk' dir mein Herzchen,
Wie gut bin ich dir!
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• R. Schumann
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with
Gedichte von Hoffmann von Fallersleben, Leipzig, Weidmann'sche Buchhandlung, 1843, page 533.
1 omitted by Schumann
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Vlinder", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "How fond I am of you!", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le papillon", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: John Versmoren , Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 75
How fond I am of you!
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
[Oh] butterfly tell,
Why do you flee me?
Why are you in such haste,
Now far and then near?
Now far and then near,
Now here and then there --
I shall not catch you,
I shall not harm you.
I shall not harm you:
O stay here always!
And I were a little flower,
I would say to you,
I would say to you:
Come, come to me!
I give you my little heart,
How fond I am of you!
Schumann's title: Butterfly
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 by Sharon Krebs, (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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2013-07-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 80