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Hafis, du bist betrunken Ich sehs an deinem Schatten, An diesem Taumelschatten, Der sich so toll gebärdet, Als käm er aus dem Tollhaus! Ei, welch verrückter Schatten Im allzu hellen Mondschein! Das fuchtelt und das biegt sich Und stolpert hin und reckt sich Aufwärts und nach den Seiten, - Ei, welch grotesker Schatten, Welch indiskreter Mondschein! Nie hab ichs glauben wollen, Wenn scheltend mich Suleima Beschwor, ich sei betrunken, - Jetzt muß ichs wahrlich glauben: Ich bin ein würdeloser, Ein aller Anmut barer, Ein ganz betrunkner Trinker Mit einem Taumelschatten Im indiskreten Mondschein!
Text Authorship:
- by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Persian (Farsi) by Hafis (c1327 - 1390) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Viktor Ullmann (1898 - 1944), "Betrunken", op. 30 no. 2 [ bass and piano ], from Liederbuch des Hafis, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Drunk", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Ehud Shapiro) , "שתוי", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Girtas", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Regina Berlinghof
This text was added to the website: 2003-12-06
Line count: 21
Word count: 91
"Hafiz, you are drunk I can see from your shadow, From this frenzied shadow, Which behaves as madly, As if it came from the madhouse! Oh, what a crazy shadow In [this] all too bright moonlight! It waves about and bends itself And stumbles and reaches Upwards and sideways, - Oh, what a grotesque shadow, What indiscreet moonlight!" I never wanted to believe it, When Suleima scolded me Swearing, I was drunk, - Now I must really believe her: I am undignified, Devoid of grace, A totally drunk drinker With a frenzied shadow Under the indiscreet moonlight!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by Laura Stanfield Prichard, (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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946)
Based on:
- a text in Persian (Farsi) by Hafis (c1327 - 1390) [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2015-12-29
Line count: 21
Word count: 95