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by Christian Felix Weisse (1726 - 1804)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Kunstvolle Weberin, die ich
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
  Kunstvolle Weberin, die ich 
Hier so geschäfftig finde; 
Wie wunderbar ergötzet mich 
Dein künstliches Gewinde! 
Die Fäden -- o! so zart spinnt sie 
Die feinste Hand am Rädchen nie! 
Wie sanft ! wie gleich sie fliessen! 
Wie richtig sie sich schliessen! 

  Sey ruhig unter meinem Tisch! 
Nie soll's die Köchinn wagen 
Und dich mit ihrem Flederwisch 
Aus deinen Zirkeln jagen! 
Hier will ich deine Wunder sehn, 
Und sorgsam nach der Ursach' spähn, 
Was du dabey gewinnest, 
Daß du so künstlich spinnest, - - - 

  Was seh' ich? eine Fliege fieng
Sich itzt in den Geweben!
Sie kämpft: du hascht das arme Ding
Und raubt ihr kleines Leben!
Geht deine Kunst auf Mordbegier?
Fort! sie gilt weiter nichts bey mir!
Was heißt es, Kunst und Gaben
Zu böser Absicht haben?

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Kleine Lyrische Gedichte von C.F. Weiße, Zweyter Band, Carlsruhe: bey Christian Gottlieb Schieder, 1778, pages 220-222


Text Authorship:

  • by Christian Felix Weisse (1726 - 1804), "An die Spinne" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Johann Adam Hiller (1728 - 1804), "Die Spinne", published 1769 [ voice and piano or harpsichord ], from Lieder für Kinder, no. 68, Leipzig: Weidmanns Erben und Reich [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-04-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 125

Artful weaver, whom I find
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
  Artful weaver, whom I find
So diligently working here;
How wondrously your artistic
Web delights me!
The strands -- oh! the smallest hand upon 
The spinning wheel can never spin them so delicately!
How softly! how evenly they flow!
How precisely they meet up!

  Just stay here under my table!
The cook shall never dare
To chase you from your concentric lines
With her duster!
Here I wish to look upon your wonders,
And carefully examine
What you gain from
Spinning so artistically - - -

  What do I see? a fly has
Been caught in your weavings!
It struggles: you snatch the poor thing
And rob it of its little life!
Does your artistry serve a lust for murder?
Away! I no longer find it worth anything!
What does it mean to have art and talents
For an evil purpose?

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Die Spinne" = "The Spider"
"An die Spinne" = "To the spider"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Christian Felix Weisse (1726 - 1804), "An die Spinne"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2018-05-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 138

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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