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"Elfenlied" (lit. "elf song") is a poem written in German by Eduard Mörike that was adapted into a lied by Hugo Wolf.
The poem
- Bei Nacht im Dorf der Wächter rief: Elfe!
- Ein ganz kleines Elfchen im Walde schlief
- wohl um die Elfe!
- Und meint, es rief ihm aus dem Tal
- bei seinem Namen die Nachtigall,
- oder Silpelit hätt' ihm gerufen.
- Reibt sich der Elf' die Augen aus,
- begibt sich vor sein Schneckenhaus
- und ist als wie ein trunken Mann,
- sein Schläflein war nicht voll getan,
- und humpelt also tippe tapp
- durch's Haselholz in's Tal hinab,
- schlupft an der Mauer hin so dicht,
- da sitzt der Glühwurm Licht an Licht.
- Was sind das helle Fensterlein?
- Da drin wird eine Hochzeit sein:
- die Kleinen sitzen bei'm Mahle,
- und treiben's in dem Saale.
- Da guck' ich wohl ein wenig 'nein!«
- Pfui, stößt den Kopf an harten Stein!
- Elfe, gelt, du hast genug?
- Gukuk!
Translation:
- At night in the village the watchman cried "Elf!"
- A very small elf was asleep in the wood -
- just at eleven! -
- And he thinks that the nightingale
- must have called him by name from the valley,
- or Silpelit might have sent for him. (Silpelit is a character's name from an opera of Mörike's, "Eduard auf dem Seil")
- So the elf rubs his eyes,
- comes out of his snail-shell house,
- and is like a drunken man,
- his nap was not finished;
- and he hobbles down, tip tap,
- through the hazel wood into the valley,
- slips right up to the wall;
- there sits the glow-worm, light on light.
- "What are those bright windows?
- There must be a wedding inside;
- the little people are sitting at the feast,
- and fooling around in the ballroom.
- So I'll just take a peep in!"
- Shame! he hits his head on hard stone!
- Well, elf, had enough, have you?
- Cuckoo! Cuckoo!
(Note: In German elf also means "eleven", "wohl um die Elfe" => "just at eleven")
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 9 August 2008, at 22:13.
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