Songs

Erlaube mir, feins Mädchen

by Johannes Brahms From 49 Deutsche Volkslieder (1894) WoO 33

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Text & Translation

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Erlaube mir, feins Mädchen
German source: Anon.

Erlaube mir, feins Mädchen,
In den Garten zu gehn,
Daß ich dort mag schauen,
Wie die Rosen so schön.
Erlaube sie zu brechen,
Es ist die höchste Zeit;
Ihre Schönheit, ihr Jugend
Hat mir mein Herz erfreut.

O Mädchen, o Mädchen,
Du einsames Kind,
Wer hat den Gedanken
Ins Herz dir gezinnt,
Daß ich soll den Garten,
Die Rosen nicht sehn?
Du gefällst meinen Augen,
Das muß ich gestehn.

Permit Me, Sweet Maiden
English translation © Richard Stokes

Permit me, sweet maiden,
To step into the garden,
That I might gaze upon
The beautiful roses.
Permit me to pick them,
The time is ripe;
Their beauty, their youth
Has delighted my heart.

O maiden, O maiden,
You lonely child,
Who has engraved the thought
On your heart
That I should gaze at
Neither garden or roses?
You delight my eyes,
I must confess.

Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Erlaube mir, feins Mädchen
German source: Anon.

Permit Me, Sweet Maiden
English source: Richard Stokes

Erlaube mir, feins Mädchen,
Permit me, sweet maiden,
In den Garten zu gehn,
To step into the garden,
Daß ich dort mag schauen,
That I might gaze upon
Wie die Rosen so schön.
The beautiful roses.
Erlaube sie zu brechen,
Permit me to pick them,
Es ist die höchste Zeit;
The time is ripe;
Ihre Schönheit, ihr Jugend
Their beauty, their youth
Hat mir mein Herz erfreut.
Has delighted my heart.

O Mädchen, o Mädchen,
O maiden, O maiden,
Du einsames Kind,
You lonely child,
Wer hat den Gedanken
Who has engraved the thought
Ins Herz dir gezinnt,
On your heart
Daß ich soll den Garten,
That I should gaze at
Die Rosen nicht sehn?
Neither garden or roses?
Du gefällst meinen Augen,
You delight my eyes,
Das muß ich gestehn.
I must confess.

Composer

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna.  Brahms has been considered, by his…

Poet

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