▁to ▁have ▁begun ▁compos ing ▁the ▁songs ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁and ▁to ▁have ▁completed ▁them ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 . ▁He ▁subject ed ▁the ▁score ▁to ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁revision , ▁probably ▁between ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁and ▁some ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁orch estr ated ▁the ▁original ▁piano ▁accompan iments . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁situation , ▁various ▁dis cre pan cies ▁exist ▁between ▁the ▁different ▁sources . ▁ ▁It ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁orch est ral ▁version ▁that ▁the ▁cycle ▁was ▁first ▁performed ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁bar it one ▁Anton ▁Sister mans ▁with ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Phil harm onic ▁and ▁Mah ler ▁conduct ing , ▁but ▁possible ▁indic ations ▁of ▁an ▁earlier ▁voice - and - p iano ▁performance ▁cannot ▁be ▁disc ount ed . ▁The ▁work ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁and ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁Mah ler ' s ▁best - known ▁compos itions . ▁ ▁The ▁lyr ics ▁are ▁by ▁the ▁composer ▁himself , ▁though ▁they ▁are ▁influenced ▁by ▁Des ▁K nab en ▁W under horn , ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁German ▁folk ▁poetry ▁that ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁Mah ler ' s ▁favorite ▁books , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁song ▁is ▁actually ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁W under horn ▁poem ▁" W ann ▁[ s ic ] ▁me in ▁Sch atz ". ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁strong