This lyric has actually been around for over two hundred years.

Its Danish author was a gifted writer
who not only took Danish literature seriously
but identified profoundly with German literature,
and in his work sometimes bridged the gap between the two cultures.
His life was tumultuous.
At one point he had enough wealth to base his home in Paris;
then the money went, and he served time in debtor's prison.
Although his sons survived him, he was twice married and each spouse died rather young.
Baggesen was impulsive and passionate, and often got into ugly stinking rows with other writers,
to the point of venomous literary feuds, so he made enemies.
He comes across as something of a progressed adolescent.

Perhaps that is why his lament for the lost idylls of childhood
became so popular, and endured long after his day.

DA JEG VAR LILLE      

Der var en Tid, da jeg var meget lille,
Min hele Krop var knap en Alen lang:
Sødt, naar jeg den mig tænker, Taarer trille,
Og derfor tænker jeg den mangen Gang.

Jeg spøged i min ømme Moders Arme,
Og sad til Hest paa beste Faders Knæ,
Og kiendte Mismod, Uro, Grublen, Harme
Saa lidt som Penge, Græsk, og Galathee.

Da syntes mig, vor Jord var meget mindre,
Men og tillige meget mindre slem;
Da saae jeg Stiernerne som Prikker tindre,
Og ønskte Vinger for at fange dem.

Da saae jeg Maanen ned bag Den glide,
Og tænkte: gid du vaar paa Den der!
Saa kunde du dog rigtig faae at vide,
Hvoraf, hvor stor, hvor rund, hvor kiøn den er.

Da saae jeg undrende Guds Sol at dale
Lidt efter lidt i Havets gyldne Skiød,
Og glad og henrykt saae den atter male
Om Morgenen den fierne Biergtop rød.

Og tænkte paa den naadige Gud Fader,
Som skabte mig, og denne smukke Sol,
Og alle disse glade Myriader,
Som vrimle fra Hans Hænder Pol til Pol.

Med barnlig Andagt bad min unge Læbe
Den Bøn, min fromme Moder lærte mig:
O gode Gud! o lag mid altid stræbe,
At være viis, og god, og lyde Dig!

Saa bad jeg for min Fader, for min Moder,
Og for min Søster, og den hele By,
Og for ukiendte Konge, og den Stodder,
Der gik mig krum og sukkende forbi.

De svandt, de svandt, de Barndoms blide Dage!
Min Rolighed, min Fryd med dem svandt hen   --
Jeg kun Erindringen har nu tilbage;
Gud! lad mig aldrig, aldrig tabe den!


--Jens Immanuel Baggesen written 1784

from Jens Baggesen's danske Værker, anden Udgave, andet Bind, Kjøbenhavn: C. A. Reitzel, 1845. Appears in Poetiske Skrifter, anden Deel, Lyriske Digte, første Samling, Viser og Sange, pages 200 - 201.

More than one musical setting exists for this lyric, including this recent version.