☝️ Key Points
- The song is sung by the character Papageno from Mozart's opera 'The Magic Flute', a cheerful bird catcher.
- Papageno is proud of his ability to attract and catch birds with his call, which brings him joy and satisfaction.
- Papageno wishes he could 'catch' girls in the same way to make them his wife, thus showing his desire for love and companionship.
- He fantasizes about how he would give sugar to the girls he would 'catch', especially the girl he loves the most.
- Papageno imagines a romantic relationship where he tenderly kisses his wife and lulls her to sleep like a child.
Interpretation
"Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja" is a song from the opera "Die Zauberflöte" by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is sung by the character Papageno, who is a cheerful, simple man whose task is to catch birds.
In the first two verses, he describes his activity as a bird catcher and how he is known for it. He is proud of his ability to attract and catch birds with his call, which brings him joy and satisfaction ("Weiß mit dem Locken umzugeh'n / Und mich aufs Pfeifen zu versteh'n. Drum kann ich froh und lustig sein, Denn alle Vögel sind ja mein!").
In the rest of the song, Papageno wishes he could catch girls in the same way to make them his wife ("Ein Netz für Mädchen möchte ich. Ich fing sie dutzendweis' für mich."). He fantasizes about how he would treat them if they all belonged to him - he would give them sugar (which was a precious commodity at that time), especially the girl he loves the most ("Wenn alle Mädchen wären mein, So tauschte ich brav Zucker ein. Die, welche mir am liebsten wär', Der gäb' ich gleich den Zucker her.").
In the last verse, Papageno imagines a romantic relationship where he tenderly kisses his wife and rocks her to sleep like a child ("Und küsste sie mich zärtlich dann, Wär sie mein Weib und ich ihr Mann. Sie schlief an meiner Seite ein, Ich wiegte wie ein Kind sie ein.").
Overall, this song expresses Papageno's simple desires and his cheerful, carefree attitude towards life. It also shows his desire for love and companionship, which is a central theme throughout the opera.