Wettstreit
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Der Kuckuck und der Esel,
Die hatten großen Streit,
Wer wohl am besten sänge
Zur schönen Maienzeit.
Der Kuckuck sprach: "Das kann ich!"
Und hub gleich an zu schrein.
"Ich aber kann es besser!"
Fiel gleich der Esel ein.
Das klang so schön und lieblich,
So schön von fern und nah;
Sie sangen alle beide:
Kuku kuku, ia!
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Wettstreit", 2008 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Wettstreit", op. 83 (Sechs Kinderlieder von Hoffmann von Fallersleben) no. 4, published 1847, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Michael Schletterer (1824 - 1893), "Wettstreit", op. 30 no. 15, published 1867, in Praktischer Unterricht im Chorgesange, in Schul-Lieder-Anhang, Nordsingen: C. H. Beck'schen Buchhandlung [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "The contest", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 58
The contest
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
The cuckoo and the donkey,
they made a great display,
as to which was the finest singer
in a lovely month of May.
The cuckoo spoke: "That I am!"
And so he began to cry.
"But I can and better!"
Did the donkey then reply.
All sounded sweet and pretty
Both near and faraway;
They sang these two together:
With "cuckoo" and that bray!
Authorship:
Based on:
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 64