Born in the Himmelpfortgrund suburb of Vienna, Schubert showed uncommon gifts for music from an early age. His father gave him his first violin lessons and his elder brother gave him piano lessons, but Schubert soon exceeded their abilities. In 1808, at the age of eleven, he became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt school, where he became acquainted with the orchestral music of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven. He left the Stadtkonvikt at the end of 1813 and returned home to live with his father, where he began studying to become a schoolteacher. Despite this, he continued his studies in composition with Antonio Salieri and still composed prolifically. In 1821, Schubert was admitted to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde as a performing member, which helped establish his name among the Viennese citizenry. He gave a concert of his works to critical acclaim in March 1828, the only time he did so in his career. He died eight months later at the age of 31, the cause officially attributed to typhoid fever, but believed by some historians to be syphilis.
Appreciation of Schubert's music while he was alive was limited to a relatively small circle of admirers in Vienna, but interest in his work increased greatly in the decades following his death. Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and other 19th-century composers discovered and championed his works. Today, Schubert is ranked among the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music and his work continues to be admired and widely performed.
Der Neugierige
Franz Schubert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sie können mir alles nicht sagen
Was ich erführ' so gern
Ich bin ja auch kein Gärtner
Die Sterne stehn zu hoch
Mein Bächlein will ich fragen
Ob mich mein Herz belog
O Bächlein meiner Liebe
Wie bist du heut so stumm!
Will ja nur Eines wissen
Ein Wörtchen um und um
Ja, heißt das eine Wörtchen
Das andre heißet Nein
Die beiden Wörtchen schließen
Die ganze Welt mir ein
O Bächlein meiner Liebe
Was bist du wunderlich!
Will’s ja nicht weiter sagen
Sag', Bächlein, liebt sie mich?
In Franz Schubert's song Der Neugierige, the singer is desperately seeking answers to a burning question: whether or not the person he loves loves him back. He has already turned to the flowers and the stars for answers but they remain silent. Frustrated, he turns to the one thing he hopes can give him the answers - the brook he loves. However, even the brook seems to be withholding the answer, frustrating the singer further. He acknowledges that the answer he seeks can only be a simple "yes" or "no", but the weight of this answer lies at the core of his being. The song speaks to the ubiquitous human desire to know whether or not we are loved, and how one answer can change the course of our lives.
Although the song is relatively short, it carries a deep and emotional impact. The use of nature imagery, such as the flowers and stars, demonstrates the singer's search for answers in the complexities of the world around him. The brook, in contrast, is a symbol of simplicity and purity, making it the perfect choice for the singer's final attempt to find the answer he seeks. These contrasting symbols and the use of questions highlight the singer's vulnerability and acts as a reminder of how we are all subject to the same uncertain fate of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich frage keine Blume ich frage keinen Stern
I ask neither flower nor star. They cannot tell me what I so long to learn.
Sie können mir alles nicht sagen
They cannot tell me what I so long to learn.
Was ich erführ' so gern
What I so long to learn.
Ich bin ja auch kein Gärtner
I am not a gardener.
Die Sterne stehn zu hoch
The stars are too high up.
Mein Bächlein will ich fragen
I will ask my little brook.
Ob mich mein Herz belog
If my heart has deceived me.
O Bächlein meiner Liebe
Oh, my brook of love.
Wie bist du heut so stumm!
Why are you so silent today!
Will ja nur Eines wissen
I only want to know one thing.
Ein Wörtchen um und um
Just one word, back and forth.
Ja, heißt das eine Wörtchen
Yes, that one word means yes.
Das andre heißet Nein
The other word means no.
Die beiden Wörtchen schließen
These two words hold the very fate of the world.
Die ganze Welt mir ein
In their combination lies everything for me.
Was bist du wunderlich!
Why are you so strange!
Will’s ja nicht weiter sagen
I won't tell anyone else.
Sag', Bächlein, liebt sie mich?
Tell me, brook, does she love me?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Sonia1937
Fischer-Dieskau had a voice which compares to no one else. I miss him. Thank you for posting this touching example of his wonderful voice.
@enriquetenorlirico
Preciosísima interpretación
@alejandrorojaschavez5140
Bravoooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Maravilloso, extraordinario, hermoso,
...... no tengo palabras.
Los lyrics son una obra de arte !!!!!!
Parece como si quien los hizo estuviera cantando tambien !!!!
(Disculpen, pero realmente muy lindo)
@immusicmad2
What a composer, and what a tenor!!
@maximilianbjorklund6544
He was a baritone, but I agree, he is wonderful
@Daverave99
Amazing expression on every word, no, every syllable. Also thanks for the creative graphics.
@romahoffman4195
Love this so much, Schubert And Fisher-,Discau and Gerald Moore!
@almuquintanilla7436
really good lyrics!! :)
@DanCur4991
really cool and interesting text/lyrics display.
@Benji_Yeet
such a good german song does anyone know what the translation is just wondering and i have to sing this song for solo ensamble so i will have to be so good to get a 1