Ein Vögelein
Fliegt [über den]1 Rhein
Und [wiegt]2 die Flügel
Im Sonnenschein,
Sieht Rebenhügel
Und grüne Flut
In goldner Glut. --
Wie wohl das tut,
So hoch erhoben
Im Morgenhauch!
Beim [Vögelein]3 droben,
O wär' ich auch!
J. Lang sets lines 1-6, 8-12
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Confirmed with Gedichte von C. Reinhold, Stuttgart: C. Mäcken, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1853, pages 65-66.
1 Lang: "über'n". Lang set this text before the poem was published. She was using Köstlin’s poetry manuscript (Z 2722/8, poem 32, Deutsches Literaturarchiv, Marbach, Germany) in which the word is "über'n"
2 Lang (when the text is repeated): "wieget"
3 Brahms: "Vöglein"
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Auf dem Schiffe", op. 97 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2 (1885), published 1886 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Vögelein", op. 14 (Sechs deutsche Lieder) no. 5 (1842), published 1848, lines 1-6,8-12 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Op het schip", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "In the boat", copyright ©
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Odile Bénassy) , "Un petit oiseau", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Un uccelletto vola sul Reno", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 36
Un petit oiseau
Vole au-dessus du Rhin
Ses ailes se balancent
Dans l'éclat du soleil,
Il voit les collines de vigne
Et la verte vallée
Dans l'embrasement doré.
Comme cela fait du bien,
D'être emporté si haut
Dans l'air matinal !
Oh, près du petit oiseau, là-haut,
Comme j'aimerais être aussi !