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Bunt sind schon die Wälder

German autumn song

Bunt sind schon die Wälder (The forests are already colorful) is a traditional German folk song written and composed at the turn of the 19th century.

The song tells of the beautiful aspects of autumn in a provincial town of days past: the red leaves of trees, the yellow harvested fields, the rich purple of grapes that gleam in the sunlight, the red and white stripes of peaches, the cheerful harvest dances performed by the townsfolk during the day and, at dusk, the sounds of violin and flute under the calm of a moonlit night.

Bunt sind schon die Wälder is here interpreted by the young men of the Rundfunk-Jugendchor Wernigerode. Note: the choir only sings verses 1, 3, and 4, but we have included all the verses here for our readers.



Listen to Bunt sind schon die Wälder



German Lyrics:

1. Bunt sind schon die Wälder,
Gelb die Stoppelfelder,
Und der Herbst beginnt.
Rote Blätter fallen,
Graue Nebel wallen,
Kühler weht der Wind.

2. Wie die volle Traube
Aus dem Rebenlaube
Purpurfarbig strahlt!
Am Geländer reifen
Pfirsiche, mit Streifen
Rot und weiß bemalt.

3. Flinke Träger springen,
Und die Mädchen singen,
Alles jubelt froh!
Bunte Bänder schweben
Zwischen hohen Reben
Auf dem Hut von Stroh.

4. Geige tönt und Flöte
Bei der Abendröte
Und im Mondesglanz.
Junge Winzerinnen
Winken und beginnen
Frohen Erntetanz.

English Translation

1. The forests are already colorful,
Yellow are the stubble (harvested) fields
And autumn begins.
Red leaves fall,
The gray mist billows,
The wind blows cooler.

2. How the ripe grapes
On the vines
Gleam in purple color!
On the trellis, mature
Peaches with stripes
Colored red and white.

3. Nimble porters jump,
And the girls sing,
Everyone cheers happily!
Colorful ribbons float
Among the high vines
From the straw hat.

4. The violin and the flute sound
At sunset
And in the moonlight.
Young winemakers
Wave and begin
A happy harvest dance.


lyrics and music Bunt sind schon die Wälder


For a high-resolution PDF version, click here.

For a version arranged for men's choir, click here.



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