Songs

Wiegenlied im Winter

by Hugo Wolf From Sechs Lieder für eine Frauenstimme (1877) 1877 - 82

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This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
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Text & Translation

Wiegenlied im Winter
German source: Robert Reinick

Schlaf ein, mein süsses Kind,
Da draussen geht der Wind,
Er pocht ans Fenster und schaut hinein,
Und hört er wo ein Kindlein schrei’n,
Da schilt und summt und brummt er sehr,
Holt gleich sein Bett voll Schnee daher,
Und deckt es auf die Wiegen,
Wenn’s Kind nicht still will liegen.

Schlaf ein, mein süsses Kind,
Da draussen geht der Wind,
Er rüttelt an dem Tannenbaum,
Da fliegt heraus ein schöner Traum,
Der fliegt durch Schnee und Nacht und Wind
Geschwind, geschwind zum lieben Kind,
Und singt von Licht und Kränzen,
Die bald am Christbaum glänzen.

Schlaf ein, mein süsses Kind,
Da draussen bläst der Wind,
Doch ruft die Sonne: “Grüss euch Gott!”
Bläst er dem Kind die Backen rot,
Und sagt der Frühling: “Guten Tag!”
Bläst er die ganze Erde wach,
Und was erst still gelegen,
Springt lustig allerwegen.
Jetzt schlaf ’, mein süsses Kind,
Da draussen bläst der Wind!

A lullaby in winter
English translation © Richard Stokes

Go to sleep, my sweet child,
Outside the wind is blowing,
He knocks at the window and looks inside,
And if he hears a baby cry,
He scolds and hums and mutters aloud,
Fetches at once his bedful of snow
And lays it on the cradle,
If the child will not lie still.

Go to sleep, my sweet child,
Outside the wind is blowing,
He rattles on the fir tree,
And out flies a lovely dream,
Flies through snow and night and wind,
Quickly, quickly to the darling child,
And sings of lights and wreaths
That soon will shine on the Christmas tree.

Go to sleep, my child,
Outside the wind is blowing,
But when the sun cries: ‘Good morning!’,
He blows till my child’s cheeks are red,
And if the Spring should cry: ‘Good day!’,
It blows till all the world’s awake,
And all that was lying still
Leaps merrily around.
Go to sleep now, sweet child,
Outside the wind is blowing.

Wiegenlied im Winter
German source: Robert Reinick

A lullaby in winter
English source: Richard Stokes

Schlaf ein, mein süsses Kind,
Go to sleep, my sweet child,
Da draussen geht der Wind,
Outside the wind is blowing,
Er pocht ans Fenster und schaut hinein,
He knocks at the window and looks inside,
Und hört er wo ein Kindlein schrei’n,
And if he hears a baby cry,
Da schilt und summt und brummt er sehr,
He scolds and hums and mutters aloud,
Holt gleich sein Bett voll Schnee daher,
Fetches at once his bedful of snow
Und deckt es auf die Wiegen,
And lays it on the cradle,
Wenn’s Kind nicht still will liegen.
If the child will not lie still.

Schlaf ein, mein süsses Kind,
Go to sleep, my sweet child,
Da draussen geht der Wind,
Outside the wind is blowing,
Er rüttelt an dem Tannenbaum,
He rattles on the fir tree,
Da fliegt heraus ein schöner Traum,
And out flies a lovely dream,
Der fliegt durch Schnee und Nacht und Wind
Flies through snow and night and wind,
Geschwind, geschwind zum lieben Kind,
Quickly, quickly to the darling child,
Und singt von Licht und Kränzen,
And sings of lights and wreaths
Die bald am Christbaum glänzen.
That soon will shine on the Christmas tree.

Schlaf ein, mein süsses Kind,
Go to sleep, my child,
Da draussen bläst der Wind,
Outside the wind is blowing,
Doch ruft die Sonne: “Grüss euch Gott!”
But when the sun cries: ‘Good morning!’,
Bläst er dem Kind die Backen rot,
He blows till my child’s cheeks are red,
Und sagt der Frühling: “Guten Tag!”
And if the Spring should cry: ‘Good day!’,
Bläst er die ganze Erde wach,
It blows till all the world’s awake,
Und was erst still gelegen,
And all that was lying still
Springt lustig allerwegen.
Leaps merrily around.
Jetzt schlaf ’, mein süsses Kind,
Go to sleep now, sweet child,
Da draussen bläst der Wind!
Outside the wind is blowing.

Composer

Hugo Wolf

Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf was born on 13 March 1860, the fourth of six surviving children, in Windischgraz, Styria, then part of the Austrian Empire. He was taught the piano and violin by his father at an early age and continued to study piano at the…

Poet

Robert Reinick

Robert Reinick was a German painter and poet, associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. One of his poems, Dem Vaterland, was set to music by Hugo Wolf. Reinick was born in Danzig (Gdańsk) and died in Dresden. Taken from Wikipedia. To view…

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