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 woman is represented by a rose. There is a companion poem by Goethe, "Das Veilchen", in which the man is 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. Schubert's setting is partially based on Pamina's and Papageno's duet "Könnte 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 lyrics of Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein's 2005 song "Rosenrot" were heavily influenced by the poem. The Japanese singer Ringo Sheena covered the Schubert song on her 2002 album Utaite Myōri: Sono Ichi in the song "D. 257".

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 ihr doch kein Weh und Ach,
Musste es eben leiden.
Röslein, Röslein, Röslein rot,
Röslein auf der Heiden.

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Wikipedia