by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Die kleine Spinnerin
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: DUT ENG FRE ITA
"Was spinnst du?" fragte Nachbars Fritz,
Als er uns jüngst besuchte.
"Dein Rädchen läuft ja wie der Blitz,
Sag an, wozu dies fruchte;
Komm lieber her in unser Spiel!"
"Herr Fritz, das laß ich bleiben,
Ich kann mir, wenn er's wissen will,
So auch die Zeit vertreiben.
Was hätt' ich auch von euch, ihr Herrn?
Man kennt ja eure Weise,
Ihr neckt und scherzt und dreht euch gern
Mit Mädchen um im Kreise,
Erhitzt ihr Blut, macht ihr Gefühl
In allen Adern rege,
Und treibt, so bunt ihr könnt, das Spiel,
Dann geht ihr eurer Wege!
Schier ist's, als wären in der Welt
Zum Spaße nur die Mädchen.
Drum geht und spaßt, wo's euch gefällt,
Ich lobe mir mein Rädchen.
Geht, eure Weise ist kein nütz!
Wenn ich soll Seide spinnen,
So will ich, merk's er sich!, Herr Fritz,
Nicht Werg dabei gewinnen.
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, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Jakob Kellner) , title 1: "The spinning girl", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "La petite fileuse", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , title 1: "La piccola filatrice", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , title 1: "De kleine spinster", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Jakob Kellner
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 143
The spinning girl
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
"Why do you spin?" asked neighbour Fritz,
At his recent visit.
"Your wheel is spinning like a flash,
Say, to what point;
Better come and play with us!"
"Fritz, I will not;
I am able, if you want to know it,
To pass away my time as well.
What would you young lads bring me after all?
Your manner is well known;
You tease and jest and like to turn
the heads of the maidens,
Heating their blood, making their feelings
Lively in all their veins.
You go as far as you can go,
Then you go your way.
It seems, as if in the world
Girls were here only for fun.
So go and jest, where you like,
I praise my spinning-wheel.
Go, your manner is no use!
When I have to spin silk,
Then, mark it well, Fritz,
I won't want to waste my time.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Jakob Kellner, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 147