The grasshopper
Language: English after the Greek (Ελληνικά)
Happy insect! what can be
In happiness compar'd to thee?
Fed with nourishment divine,
The dewy morning's gentle wine!
Nature waits upon thee still,
And thy verdant cup does fill;
'Tis filled wherever thou dost tread,
Nature self's thy Ganymede.
Thou dost drink, and dance, and sing;
Happier than the happiest king!
All the fields which thou dost see,
All the plants belong to thee;
All that summer hours produce;
Fertile made with early juice.
Man for thee does sow and plow;
Farmer he, and landlord thou!
Thou dost innocently joy;
Nor does thy luxury destroy;
The shepherd gladly heareth thee,
More harmonious than he.
Thee country-hinds with gladness hear,
Prophet of the ripen'd year!
Thee Phoebus loves, and does inspire;
Phoebus is himself thy sire.
To thee, of all things upon earth,
Life's no longer than thy mirth.
Happy insect, happy, thou
Dost neither age nor winter know;
But, when thou'st drunk, and danc'd and sung
Thy fill, the flowery leaves among,
(Voluptuous and wise withal,
Epicurean animal!)--
Sated with thy summer feast,
Thou retir'st to endless rest.
Submitted by Emily Ezust
Authorship
Based on
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive) [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages or adaptations:
- Also set in Greek (Ελληνικά), original text sometimes misattributed to Anacreon (c582BCE - c485BCE) ENG GER and by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , title 1: "Εἰς τέττιγα" ENG GER by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) , title 1: "An die Zikade", subtitle: "Nach dem Anakreon" ENG by Anton Urspruch.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Carl von Blankensee , title unknown ENG by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe.
Text added to the website: 2015-03-24.
Last modified: 2015-03-24 12:28:40
Line count: 34
Word count: 179
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