Text & Translation
Blumenlied
German source:
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
Wenn, Paradiesesblumen gleich,
Aus Klee die Blumen dringen;
Und wenn die Vögel silberhell
Im Garten hier, und dort am Quell,
Auf Blütenbäumen singen.
Doch holder blüht ein edles Weib,
Von Seele gut und schön von Leib,
In frischer Jugendblüte.
Wir lassen alle Blumen stehen,
Das liebe Weibchen anzusehen,
Und freun uns ihrer Güte.
Flower Song
English translation ©
Richard Wigmore
when, like blooms of paradise,
the flowers spring up from the clover
and when with silvery voice
the birds sing on blossoming boughs
here in the garden, and yonder by the stream.
But lovelier still blooms a noble lady,
sweet of soul and fair of form,
in the freshness of youth.
We leave all the flowers be
to gaze at that beloved lady
and to delight in her goodness.
Blumenlied
German source:
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
Flower Song
English source:
Richard Wigmore
Es ist ein halbes Himmelreich,
It is almost heaven
Wenn, Paradiesesblumen gleich,
when, like blooms of paradise,
Aus Klee die Blumen dringen;
the flowers spring up from the clover
Und wenn die Vögel silberhell
and when with silvery voice
Im Garten hier, und dort am Quell,
the birds sing on blossoming boughs
Auf Blütenbäumen singen.
here in the garden, and yonder by the stream.
Doch holder blüht ein edles Weib,
But lovelier still blooms a noble lady,
Von Seele gut und schön von Leib,
sweet of soul and fair of form,
In frischer Jugendblüte.
in the freshness of youth.
Wir lassen alle Blumen stehen,
We leave all the flowers be
Das liebe Weibchen anzusehen,
to gaze at that beloved lady
Und freun uns ihrer Güte.
and to delight in her goodness.
Composer
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He…
Poet
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty, was German poet who is considered the most gifted lyric poet of the Göttinger Hain, a group of young poets who saw themselves as heirs of the great lyric poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock and whose work was…