Submitted by asante on Do, 06/30/2011 - 15:49
08
Heidenröslein
The wild rose

Sah ein Knab ein Röslein stehn,

Röslein auf der Heiden,

war so jung und morgenschön,

lief er schnell, es nah zu sehn,

sah’s mit vielen Freuden.

Röslein, Röslein, Röslein rot,

Röslein auf der Heiden.

 

Knabe sprach: „Ich breche dich,

Röslein auf der Heiden!“

Röslein sprach: „Ich steche dich,

dass du ewig denkst an mich,

und ich will’s nicht leiden.“

Röslein, Röslein, Röslein rot,

Röslein auf der Heiden.

 

Und der wilde Knabe brach

’s Röslein auf der Heiden.

Röslein wehrte sich und stach,

half ihm doch kein Weh und Ach,

musst’ es eben leiden.

Röslein, Röslein, Röslein rot,

Röslein auf der Heiden.

A boy saw a little rose,

Little rose on the heath,

was so young and wonderful,

so he ran quickly to see it close,

Looked at it with great joy,

little rose, little rose, little red rose,

little rose on the heath.

 

The boy said: „I will pick you,

little rose on the heath!“

The little rose said: „I will stick you,

so you’ll forever think of me,

and I will not suffer this.“

Little rose, little rose, little red rose,

little rose on the heath.

 

And the rough boy picked,

the little rose on the heath.

The little rose fought and pricked,

but no cry and sigh helped,

so it had to suffer.

Little rose, little rose, little red rose,

little rose on the heath.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1932) wrote this poem in 1771. Between 1827 and 1829, Heinrich Werner (1800-1833), a choir master, composed the melody, which then took roots as a folk song. When he wrote this poem, Goethe was living in Strassbourg and fell in love with a priest’s daughter. This ill-fated love was probably the reason why he wrote this famous poem. In Europe, “pricking the flower” is a metaphor for “depriving of virginity”, and is oftentimes a subject used in poems. In 1815, Franz Schubert (1797-1828) composed his world famous "Lied" to this poem.