The song of the stonebreaker | I am no minister

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

If you wish to reprint translations, please use the Reprint Basket (upper right hand corner).

Reminder: You must always use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Karl Friedrich Henckell (1864 - 1929)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Das Lied des Steinklopfers

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Ich bin kein Minister,
Ich bin kein König,
Ich bin kein Priester,
Ich bin kein Held,
Mir ist kein Orden,
Mir ist kein Titel
Verliehen worden
Und auch kein Geld.

Dich will ich kriegen,
Du harter Plocken,
Die Splitter fliegen,
Der Sand stäubt auf -
"Du armer Flegel,"
Mein Vater brummte,-
"Nimm meinen Schlägel;"
Und starb darauf.

Heut hab ich Armer
Noch nichts gegessen,
Der Allerbarmer
Hat nichts gesandt;
Von gold’nem Weine
Hab‘ ich geträumet
Und klopfe Steine
Für's Vaterland.

Confirmed with Die Texte der Lieder von Richard Strauss, Kritische Ausgabe von Reinhold Schlötterer, Pfaffenhofen: W. Ludwig Verlag, 1988.

Text Authorship:

by Karl Friedrich Henckell (1864 - 1929), "Das Lied des Steinklopfers", appears in Gedichte. Bildschmuck von Fidus [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 Wilhelm Kienzl (1857 - 1941), "Das Lied des Steinklopfers", op. 71 no. 2, published <<1905 [ medium voice and piano ], from Moderne Lyrik. Zwölf Lieder und Gesänge, no. 2, Leipzig, C. F. Kahnt [sung text checked 1 time]
by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Das Lied des Steinklopfers", op. 49 (Acht Lieder) no. 4 (1901), published 1902 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Fürstner [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La cançó del picapedrer", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The song of the stonebreaker", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chant du casseur de pierres", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 79

The song of the stonebreaker

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Add this translation to the Basket

I am no minister,
I am no king,
I am no priest,
I am no hero,
No medal,
No title,
Has been bestowed upon me
And also no money.

You I wish to deal with,
You hard block,
The splinters are flying,
The sand rises in clouds -
“You poor lout,”
My father muttered,-
“Take my hammer;”
And died thereafter.

Today I, poor wretch,
Have not yet eaten anything,
The All-Merciful One
Has sent nothing;
I have dreamed
Of golden wine,
And I break stones
For the Fatherland.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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 Karl Friedrich Henckell (1864 - 1929), "Das Lied des Steinklopfers", appears in Gedichte. Bildschmuck von Fidus
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-05-19
Line count: 24
Word count: 87