The lad
(Poet's title: Der Knabe)
Set by Schubert:
D 692
[March 1820]
Part of Schlegel: Abendröte (putative cycle)
Wenn ich nur ein Vöglein wäre,
Ach wie wollt’ ich lustig fliegen,
Alle Vögel weit besiegen.
Wenn ich so ein Vogel bin,
Darf ich alles, alles haschen,
Und die höchsten Kirschen naschen,
Fliege dann zur Mutter hin.
Ist sie bös in ihrem Sinn,
Kann ich lieb mich an sie schmiegen,
Ihren Ernst gar bald besiegen.
Bunte Federn, leichte Flügel,
Dürft’ ich in der Sonne schwingen,
Dass die Lüfte laut erklingen,
Weiß nichts mehr von Band und Zügel.
Wär ich über jene Hügel,
Ach, dann wollt’ ich lustig fliegen,
Alle Vögel weit besiegen.
If only I were a little bird,
Oh, how I would love to fly about in delight,
I would outstrip all the other birds.
If I were such a bird
I would be able to catch everything
And nibble at the highest cherries,
Then fly back to mother.
If she is in an angry mood
I can snuggle up to her lovingly
And she will soon take me seriously again.
Bright feathers, light wings,
I would be allowed to flap them about in the sun,
So that the breezes ring out loud,
I would have nothing more to do with ties or reins.
If I were beyond that hill,
Oh then I would love to fly about in delight,
I would outstrip all the other birds.
All translations into English that appear on this website, unless otherwise stated, are by Malcolm Wren. You are free to use them on condition that you acknowledge Malcolm Wren as the translator and schubertsong.uk as the source. Unless otherwise stated, the comments and essays that appear after the texts and translations are by Malcolm Wren and are © Copyright.
☙
Themes and images in this text:
Birds Children and childhood Feathers and plumage Flowers Flying, soaring and gliding Fruit High, low and deep Hills and mountains Mother and child Wings
Let us not be fooled by Schlegel’s title. This ‘lad’ is a very young boy, probably just a precocious toddler. They need to keep him on the reins because he cannot be trusted to run off and into danger. The more he is restrained, though, the more he wants to fly off. All his desires are focused on what is out of reach: the highest cherries, the other side of the hill on the horizon, the Olympic gold for flying like a bird.
It would not be so bad if he were not such a spoiled kid, but we can tell that he is the sort that can get away with anything. He knows that he can win his mother back round, however stern her words or strong her threats. Is she never tempted to let him off the leash and allow him to suffer the consequences?
☙
Original Spelling Der Knabe Wenn ich nur ein Vöglein wäre, Ach wie wollt' ich lustig fliegen, Alle Vögel weit besiegen. Wenn ich so ein Vogel bin, Darf ich alles alles haschen, Und die höchsten Kirschen naschen, Fliege dann zur Mutter hin. Ist sie bös' in ihrem Sinn, Kann ich lieb mich an sie schmiegen, Ihren Ernst gar bald besiegen. Bunte Federn, leichte Flügel, Dürft' ich in der Sonne schwingen, Daß die Lüfte laut erklingen, Weiß nichts mehr von Band und Zügel. Wär ich über jene Hügel, Ach dann wollt' ich lustig fliegen, Alle Vögel weit besiegen.
Confirmed by Peter Rastl with Schubert’s source, Fridrich Schlegel’s Gedichte. Erster Theil. Neueste Auflage. Wien 1816. Bey B. Ph. Bauer. page 19; with Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1802. Herausgegeben von A. W. Schlegel und L. Tieck. Tübingen, in der Cotta’schen Buchhandlung, 1802, page 136; and with Friedrich Schlegel’s sämmtliche Werke. Erster Band. Gedichte. Berlin, bei Julius Eduard Hitzig, 1809, page 15.
To see an early edition of the text, go to page 19 [27 von 190] here: http://digital.onb.ac.at/OnbViewer/viewer.faces?doc=ABO_%2BZ20491940X