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Abschiedslied der Zugvögel (1844) Op.63 no.2

Part of a series or song cycle:

Six Duets (Op.63)

Abschiedslied der Zugvögel

August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben

Wie war so schön doch Wald und Feld!
Wie ist so traurig jetzt die Welt!
Hin ist die schöne Sommerzeit,
Und nach der Freude kam das Leid.
Wir wußten nichts von Ungemach,
Wir saßen unterm Laubesdach
Vergnügt und froh beim Sonnenschein,
Und sangen in die Welt hinein.
Wir armen Vöglein trauern sehr:
Wir haben keine Heimat mehr,
Wir müssen jetzt von hinnen fliehn
Und in die weite Fremde ziehn.

Farewell song of the migrating birds

English Translation © Richard Stokes

How beautiful were forest and field!
How sad the world is now!
Beautiful summertime has gone,
And after joy sorrow has come.
We knew nothing of discomfort,
Beneath a leafy canopy we sat
Content and happy in the sun
And sang out into the world.
We poor birds are now so sad,
We no longer have a homeland,
We must now fly far away
Into distant lands.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Composer

Felix Mendelssohn

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 1809 – 4 November 1847), brother of Fanny Mendelssohn and grandson of Haskalah and Enlightenment philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonies, concertos, piano music and chamber music. 

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Poet

August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben

August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben  was a German poet. He is best known for writing "Das Lied der Deutschen", its third stanza now being the national anthem of Germany, and a number of popular children's songs, considered part of the Young Germany movement.

Hoffmann was born in Fallersleben in Lower Saxony, then in the duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

The son of a merchant and mayor of his native city, he was educated at the classical schools of Helmstedt and Braunschweig, and afterwards at the universities of Göttingen and Bonn. His original intention was to study theology, but he soon devoted himself entirely to literature. In 1823 he was appointed custodian of the university library at Breslau, a post which he held till 1838. He was also made extraordinary professor of the German language and literature at that university in 1830, and ordinary professor in 1835. Hoffmann was deprived of his chair in 1842 in consequence of his Unpolitische Lieder (1840–1841, "Unpolitical Songs"), which gave much offence to the authorities in Prussia.

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