Heidenröslein

"Heidenröslein" or "Heideröslein" ("Rose on the Heath" or "Little Rose of the Field") is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, published in 1799. It was written in 1771 during Goethe's stay in Strasbourg when he was in love with Friederike Brion, to whom the poem is addressed. The episode is the inspiration for Franz Lehár's 1928 operetta Friederike, which includes a setting of "Heidenröslein" by Lehár.

"Heidenröslein" tells of a young man's rejected love, the female represented by a rose. A companion poem by Goethe, "Das Veilchen", reverses the situation and describes a woman's love rejected by a careless man, the woman represented by a violet.

It has been set to music by a number of composers, most notably in 1815 by Franz Schubert as his D. 257. It is partially based on Pamina's and Papageno's duet "Könte jeder brave Mann" from the end of act 1 of Mozart's The Magic Flute. There are also settings by Carl Friedrich Zelter and Heinrich Werner. The Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein used the lyrics in their 2005 song "Rosenrot". The Japanese singer Ringo Sheena covered the Schubert song on her 2002 album Utaite Myōri: Sono Ichi in the song "D. 257".

Text

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.

Saw a boy a little rose, little red rose on the heath, young and lovely like the morning. So he ran to have a close look at it, and gladly did. Little rose, little rose, little red rose on the heath. Said the boy: I will pick you, my red rose on the heath! Said the rose: I will prick you and I won't stand it, and you won't forget me. Little rose, little rose, little red rose on the heath. And the rough boy picked the rose, little red rose on the heath, and the red rose fought and pricked, yet she cried and sighed in vain, and had to let it happen. Little rose, little rose, little red rose on the heath.

Once a boy saw a little rose standing, Little rose of the field, She was so young and beautiful, He dashed there quickly to see her near, Beholden with abundant joy, Little rose, little rose, little rose red, Little rose of the field. The boy then said: "I shall pick thee, Little rose of the field." The little rose said: "I shall stick thee, That you'll always think of me, And, I'll not want to suffer it." Little rose, little rose, little rose red, Little rose of the field. Still the rough boy picked the rose, Little rose of the field. The little rose fought thus and pricked, No prose of pain could help her, Alas, she must suffer it yet. Little rose, little rose, little rose red, Little rose of the field.

External links

"Heidenröslein", D. 257 (Franz Schubert): Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.