Five Fables

Song Cycle by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

View original-language texts alone: Fünf Fablen

1. Aesopus und der Esel
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Der Esel sprach zu Aesop: "Wenn du wieder 
ein Geschichtchen von mir ausbringst, 
so lass mich etwas recht Vernünftiges und Sinnreiches sagen."

"Dich etwas Sinnreiches!" sagte Aesop, 
"Wie würde sich das schicken? Würde man nicht sprechen, 
du seist der Sittenlehrer und ich der Esel?"

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781)
1. Aesop and the Donkey
Language: English 
The donkey spoke to Aesop: "When you propose 
another little story about me, 
let me say something sensible and profound."  

"You say something profound?" said Aesop, 
"how would that seem? Wouldn't people then say 
that you were the proper teacher and I the ass?"

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Aesop and the Donkey", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 6
Word count: 44

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)
2. Eine philosophische Maus
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Eine philosophische Maus pries die gütige Natur, dass sie die Mäuse zu
einem so vorzüglichen Gegenstande ihrer Erhaltung gemacht habe. »Denn
eine Hälfte von uns,« sprach sie, »erhielt von ihr Flügel, dass, wenn
wir hier unten auch alle von den Katzen ausgerottet würden, sie doch
mit leichter Mühe aus den Fledermäusen unser ausgerottetes Geschlecht
wiederherstellen könnte.«

Die gute Maus wusste nicht, dass es auch geflügelte Katzen gibt. Und
so beruhet unser Stolz meistens auf unsrer Unwissenheit!

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Note: this is a prose text. Line breaks have been added.

by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781)
2. A philosophic mouse
Language: English 
A philosophic mouse praised Mother Nature, 
such that other mice sought out such excellent advice as he had to give. 
"As one half of us," the mouse said, "received wings from Mother Nature, 
if we here on the ground should be eradicated, 
the others could with little effort 
re-establish our extinct race through our bat friends. 
The good mouse didn't know that there were also flying cats. 
And so was our pride pacified 
mostly through our lack of knowledge.

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "A philosophic mouse", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 9
Word count: 79

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)
3. Der Fuchs und der Storch
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
"Erzähle mir doch etwas von den fremden Ländern, 
die du alle gesehen hast," sagte der Fuchs 
zu dem weit gereisten Storche.
Hierauf fing der Storch an, ihm jede Lache 
und jede feuchte Wiese zu nennen, 
wo er die schmackhaftesten Würmer 
und die fettesten Frösche geschmaust.
"Sie sind lange in Paris gewesen, mein Herr. 
Wo speiset man da am besten? 
Was für Weine haben Sie da am meisten 
nach Ihrem Geschmacke gefunden?"

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781)
3. The Fox and the Stork
Language: English 
"Tell me something of strange lands, 
that you have seen," said the fox 
to the well-traveled stork. 
With that the stork began to tell 
of every pool and every wet field, 
where he had enjoyed the tastiest worms 
and the fattest frogs.
"You been long in Paris, my friend. 
Where does one dine the best? 
What wine goes best 
with such delectable foods as you have found?"

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "The Fox and the Stork", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 11
Word count: 67

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)
4. Der kriegerische Wolf
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
"Mein Vater, glorreichen Andenkens," 
sagte ein junger Wolf zu einem Fuchse, 
"das war ein rechter Held! 
Wie fürchterlich hat er sich 
nicht in der ganzen Gegend gemacht!
Er hat über mehr als zweihundert Feinde, 
nach und nach, triumphiert, und ihre schwarze Seelen 
in das Reich des Verderbens gesandt. 
Was Wunder also, dass er endlich 
doch einem unterliegen musste!"

"So würde sich ein Leichenredner ausdrücken," 
sagte der Fuchs, "der trockene Geschichtsschreiber 
aber würde hinzusetzen: die zweihundert Feinde, 
über die er, nach und nach, triumphiert, 
waren Schafe und Esel; und der eine Feind, 
dem er unterlag, war der erste Stier, 
den er sich anzufallen erkühnte."

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781)
4. The Warrior Wolf
Language: English 
"My father of glorious memory," 
said a young wolf to a fox, 
"he was a true hero! 
How feared did he make himself 
throughout the whole region. 
He triumphed over more than two hundred enemies, 
such as sheep and donkeys; and his black soul was hailed 
in the kingdom of destruction. 
While a wonder, of course sooner or later 
he had to be beaten!" 

"So he crowed about corpses," 
said the fox, "but that braggart 
should've sat down and shut up; 
the two hundred enemies over which he triumphed 
were just sheep and donkeys, 
and there was one enemy that brought him down, 
which was the first bull that he even dared to attack."

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "The Warrior Wolf", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 17
Word count: 114

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)
5. Die Wasserschlange
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Zeus hatte nunmehr den Fröschen einen anderen König gegeben; 
anstatt eines friedlichen Klotzes eine gefräßige Wasserschlange.
"Willst du unser König sein", schrien die Frösche, 
"warum verschlingst du uns?" - 
"Darum", antwortete die Schlange, "weil ihr um mich gebeten habt." -
"Ich habe nicht um dich gebeten!" rief einer von den Fröschen, 
den sie schon mit den Augen verschlang. - 
"Nicht?" sagte die Wasserschlange. "Desto schlimmer! 
So muß ich dich verschlingen, 
weil du nicht um mich gebeten hast."

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781)
5. The Water Snake
Language: English 
Zeus had not ever given frogs another king; 
instead on a quiet log there was a gluttonous water snake.
"Perhaps you could be our king," cried a frog,
"but why do you devour us?" -- 
"For the reason that, " answered the snake, "you have asked for this." 
"But I haven't asked you," cried one of the frogs, 
that was being devoured with the snake's eyes. 
"No?" said the water snake. "That's even worse. 
So I have to devour you, 
because you haven't asked me to."

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "The Water Snake", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 10
Word count: 85

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)