Die Blümelein sie schlafen

"Die Blümelein sie schlafen" is a German lullaby, entitled "Sandmännchen" (Sandman), composed by Johannes Brahms. He also composed other lullabies, such as "Wiegenlied".

Johannes Brahms (1853)
Robert and Clara Schumann (1847)

In General

Sandmännchen, WoO.31-4, is the fourth song in the "Fifteen Folk Songs for Children" composed by Johannes Brahms, originally taken from the songbook of Deutsche Volkslieder collected by Anton Wilhelm von Zuccalmaglio.

A sandman is a fairy in German and other European folk tales who sprinkles sand in the children's eyes at night, making them drowsy. After Robert Schumann died in 1856, Brahms is said to have give the songbook "Fifteen Folk Songs for Children" as his present to Schumann's children.

Words

The words consist of four stanzas, of which the first stanza is as follows: [1][2]

Original German TextEnglish Translation

Sandmännchen

Die Blümelein sie schlafen
schon längst im Mondenschein,
sie nicken mit den Köpfen
auf ihren Stengelein.
Es rüttelt sich der Blütenbaum,
es säuselt wie im Traum:
Schlafe, schlafe, schlaf du, mein Kindelein!

Sandman

The little flowers are sleeping
Already well under the moonlight,
They bow their heads
On their stems.
The flower tree is rustling,
It whispers as in a dream:
Sleep, sleep, you sleep, my little child.

In other languages

This song is also sung in other countries, in German and in various language translations.[3]

A German Christmas Carol

"Zu Bethlehem geboren" (first printed in 1837) composed by the German poet, Friedrich Spee, is a Christmas carol which uses the music of "Sandmännchen".

References
  1. Die Blümelein sie schlafen (Liederbaum)
  2. Text and links to English and other language translations（The LiederNet Archive）
  3. Nemuri-no-Sei 眠りの精 (in Japanese)
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