Es ist das Glück ein flüchtig Ding

Es ist das Glück ein flüchtig Ding,
Und war's zu allen Tagen;
Und jagtest du um der Erde Ring,
Du möchtest es nicht erjagen.

Leg' dich lieber ins Gras voll Duft
Und singe deine Lieder;
Plötzlich vielleicht aus blauer Luft
Fällt es auf dich hernieder.

Aber dann pack' es und halt' es fest
Und plaudre nicht viel dazwischen;
Wenn du zu lang' es warten läßt,
Möcht' es dir wieder entwischen.

Translation(s): ENG

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Authorship

• by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), no title, appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lieder als Intermezzo, no. 34 [ author's text checked 1 time]

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

• by Werner (Erich) Josten (1885 - 1963), "Das Glück", published 1926, from Fünf Lieder, no. 3. [
   text not verified 
  ]
• by Carl, Graf Nostitz , "Das Glück", published 1886 [voice and piano], from Fünfzig Lieder, no. 3, Prag, Hoffmann [
   text not verified 
  ]
• by Jakob Rosenhain (1813 - 1894), "Es ist das Glück ein flüchtig Ding", op. 71 (Sechs Lieder und Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1875 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Kistner [
   text not verified 
  ]

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

• ENG English [singable] (John Bernhoff) , title 1: "Luck"

Text added to the website: 2007-07-10.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:02:25
Line count: 12
Word count: 70

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Luck

Dame Fortune, she's a flighty thing,
for moods, there's none to match her:
that damsel's ever on ready wing,
and vainly you'll try to catch her.

Lay thee down 'neath the summer skies
where lark's sweet song may greet thee;
Some day, perchance to thy surprise,
Fortune will come to meet thee.

Then thou must seize her, and hold thy tongue,
'tis thus, if thou'rt wise, wilt show it;
for if thou make her wait too long,
she'll be off, before thou know it.

Submitted by Harry Joelson

Authorship

• Singable translation by John Bernhoff (flourished 1906-1908), "Luck" [ author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), no title, appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lieder als Intermezzo, no. 34
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Werner Josten, Carl, Graf Nostitz, Jakob Rosenhain. Go to the text.

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 ]

Text added to the website: 2007-08-16.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:02:26
Line count: 12
Word count: 84