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Ich armer Teufel, Herr Baron, Beneide Sie um Ihren Stand, Um Ihren Platz so nah dem Thron Und um manch schön' Stück Ackerland, Um Ihres Vaters festes Schloß, Um seine Wildbahn und Geschoß. Mich armen Teufel, Herr Baron, Beneiden Sie, so wie es scheint, Weil die Natur vom Knaben schon Mit mir es mütterlich gemeint. Ich ward, mit leichtem Mut und Kopf, Zwar arm, doch nicht ein armer Tropf. Nun dächt ich, lieber Herr Baron, Wir ließen's bleiben wie wir sind: Sie blieben des Herrn Vaters Sohn, Und ich blieb' meiner Mutter Kind. Wir leben ohne Neid un Haß, Begehren nicht des andern Titel, Sie keinen Platz auf dem Parnaß, Und keinen ich in dem Kapitel.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre [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 Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein (1829 - 1894), "Ich armer Teufel, Herr Baron", op. 91 no. 5, from Die Gedichte und das Requiem fur Mignon aus Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahre", no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Spottlied aus Wilhelm Meister", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 4, Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "Poor devil that I am, my Baron", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chanson satirique de Wilhelm Meister", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Io povero diavolo, mio signor barone", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 116
Io povero diavolo, mio signor barone, invidia nutro per la sua condizione, per il suo posto , al trono quasi annesso per i bei pezzi di terra in suo possesso, per il saldo castello di suo padre per la riserva di caccia e per le armi. Per me povero diavolo, Barone mio signore, lei nutre invidia, per quello che mi appare, perché, fin dalla mia infanzia, madre Natura mi ha sempre protetto con attenzione e cura. Perché nacqui con mente sveglia e animo sottile, povero in canna forse, ma non certo imbecille. E' mia opinione, caro signor Barone, che dovremmo restare nella nostra condizione: Lei figlio restare del suo signore padre, io l'amato rampollo di mia madre. Viver dobbiamo senza invidia e astio, senza desiderare i titoli dell'altro, lei nel Parnaso non sarà mai ammesso, io nel Capitolo non troverò mai posto.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2009 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-23
Line count: 20
Word count: 142