Elfenlied

"Elfenlied" (lit. "elf song") is a poem written in German by Eduard Mörike that was adapted into a lied by Hugo Wolf.

The poem

:"Bei Nacht im Dorf der Wächter rief: Elfe!":"Ein ganz kleines Elfchen im Walde schlief ":"wohl um die Elfe!":"Und meint, es rief ihm aus dem Tal":"bei seinem Namen die Nachtigall,":" oder Silpelit hätt' ihm gerufen."

:"Reibt sich der Elf' die Augen aus,":"begibt sich vor sein Schneckenhaus":"und ist als wie ein trunken Mann,":"sein Schläflein war nicht voll getan,":"und humpelt also tippe tapp":"durch's Haselholz in's Tal hinab,":"schlupft an der Mauer hin so dicht,":"da sitzt der Glühwurm Licht an Licht."

:"Was sind das helle Fensterlein?":"Da drin wird eine Hochzeit sein:":"die Kleinen sitzen bei'm Mahle,":"und treiben's in dem Saale.":"Da guck' ich wohl ein wenig 'nein!«"

:"Pfui, stößt den Kopf an harten Stein!":"Elfe, gelt, du hast genug?":"Gukuk!"

Translation:

:"At night in the village the watchman cried "Elf!":"A very small elf was asleep in the wood -":"just at eleven! -":"And he thinks that the nightingale":"must have called him by name from the valley,":"or Silpelit might have sent for him." (Silpelit is a character's name from an opera of Mörike's, "Eduard auf dem Seil") :"So the elf rubs his eyes,":"comes out of his snail-shell house,":"and is like a drunken man,":"his nap was not finished;":"and he hobbles down, tip tap,":"through the hazel wood into the valley,":"slips right up to the wall;":"there sits the glow-worm, light on light."

:"What are those bright windows?":"There must be a wedding inside;":"the little people are sitting at the feast,":"and fooling around in the ballroom.":"So I'll just take a peep in!"

:"Shame! he hits his head on hard stone!":"Well, elf, had enough, have you?":"Cuckoo! Cuckoo! "

(Note: In German "elf" also means "eleven", "wohl um die Elfe" => "just at eleven")