by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Heirat
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Wie weislich tut, wer seine Schuh
nicht mit verworfnem Geiz besolet,
indem er sich was liebes holet.
Geld deckt zwar manchen fehler zu;
doch welcher bei den Heiratssachen
bloss nach der fetten Tasche fühlt,
auf Reichtum, nicht auf Tugend, zielt,
der wird sein glücke selten machen.
Ein ehrlichs Herz, ein keuscher Leib,
ist mehr, als alles Gold zu schätzen,
worauf nur die ihr Datum setzen,
die ihren besten Seitvertreib
in der erlangten Mitgift suchen,
die, wenn der Kauf einmal geschehn,
und sie ihr güldnes Creuz besehn,
den Geiz, allein zu spät, verfluchen.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Poppy Holden) , "Marriage", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Poppy Holden
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 92
Marriage
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
How wisely he does, who does not
sole his shoe with depraved meanness,
by which he gets some love.
Indeed money covers some errors;
but whoever expects from marriage
merely to fill the fat bag
with wealth, not virtue,
seldom will obtain happiness.
An honourable heart, a chaste body,
is more estimable than all the gold
which those set as their only criterion,
those whose favorite pastime
is looking at the attained dowry -
those who, when the purchase has been made,
and they examine it, too late,
curse their guilty cross, avarice.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Poppy Holden, (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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 93