Ich weiß mir'n Mädchen hübsch und fein

Ich weiß [mir'n Mädchen]1 hübsch und fein, 
  hüt du dich!
Es kann wohl falsch und freundlich sein,
  hüt du dich!
Vertrau ihr nicht, sie narret dich!

Sie hat zwei Äuglein, die sind braun,
  hüt du dich!
Sie werd'n dich überzwerch anschaun,
  hüt du dich!
Vertrau ihr nicht, sie narret dich!

Sie hat ein licht goldfarbenes Haar,
  hüt du dich!
Und was sie red't, das ist nicht wahr,
  hüt du dich!
Vertrau ihr nicht, sie narret dich!

[Sie hat zwei Brüstlein, die sind weiß,
Hüt du dich!
Sie leg s' hervor nach ihrem Fleiß
hüt du dich!
Vetrau ihr nicht, sie narret dich!]2

Sie gibt dir'n Kränzlein fein gemacht,
  hüt du dich! 
Für einen Narr'n wirst du geacht,
  hüt du dich!
Vetrau ihr nicht, sie narret dich!

from Des Knaben Wunderhorn

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Eugen (Francis Charles) d'Albert (1864-1932) , "Hüt du dich", op. 22 no. 3, published 1900?
by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) , "Hüt du dich", op. 66 (Fünf Duette) no. 5 (1875).
by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) , "Ich weiß mir'n Maidlein", WoO. 33 no. 40, from Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 40.
by Hans Leo Haßler (1564-1612) , "Ich weiß mir ein Meidlein", stanza 1. [choral]
by (Jakob Ludwig) Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) , "Ich weiß mir'n Mädchen", 1834.
by Friedrich Zipp (1914-1997) , "Hüt du dich", op. 5 (Wunderhorn Lieder) no. 6 (1935-6).

by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) , "Beware!", 1923, stanzas 1-2.
by Charles Gounod (1818-1893) , "Beware", published 1871. [voice and piano]

Date added to the website: 2004-01-12.

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Beware!

I know a maiden fair to see,
Take care!
She can both false and friendly be,
beware! beware!
Trust her not, she is fooling thee!

She has two eyes, so soft and brown,
take care!
She gives a side-glance and looks down,
beware! beware!
Trust her not, she is fooling thee!

And she has hair of a golden hue,
take care!
And what she says, it is not true,
beware! beware!
Trust her not, she is fooling thee!

She has a bosom as white as snow,
take care!
She knows how much it is best to show,
beware! beware!
Trust her not, she is fooling thee!

She gives thee a garland woven fair,
take care!
It is a fool's-cap for thee to wear,
beware! beware!
Trust her not, she is fooling thee!

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) , "Beware!", from Voices of the Night, published 1839

a text in German by Des Knaben Wunderhorn

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) , "Beware!", 1923, stanzas 1-2.
by Charles Gounod (1818-1893) , "Beware", published 1871. [voice and piano]

Date added to the website: 2004-01-12.