by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Ich bin ein deutscher Jüngling
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Ich bin ein deutscher Jüngling
     Mein Haar ist kraus, breit meine Brust;
Mein Vater war
Ein edler Mann, ich bin es auch.
 
Wenn mein Aug' Unrecht siehet,
     Sträubt sich mein krauses Haar empor,
Und meine Hand
Schwellt auf und zuckt und greift ans Schwerdt.
 
Ich bin ein deutscher Jüngling!
     Beym süßen Namen "Vaterland"
Schlägt mir das Herz,
Und mein Gesicht wird feuerroth. --
 
Ich weiß ein deutsches Mädchen;
Ihr Aug ist blau, und sanft ihr Blick,
     Und gut ihr Herz,
Und blau, o Hertha, blau ihr Aug!
 
Wer nicht stammt vom Thuiskon,
Der blicke nach dem Mädchen nicht!
     Er blicke nicht,
Wenn er nicht vom Thuiskon stammt!
 
Denn ihres blauen Auges
Soll sich ein edler Jüngling freun!
     Sie soll geliebt,
Soll eines edlen Jünglings seyn!
 
Ich bin ein deutscher Jüngling,
Und schaue kalt und kühn umher,
     Ob einer sey,
Der nach dem Mädchen blicken will.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   J. Kraus 

J. Kraus sets stanzas 1-5, 7

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Matthias Claudius, Werke, Erster Band, Siebente wohlfeile Auflage, Hamburg & Gotha: bei Friedrich und Andreas Perthes, 1844, pages 111-112. Note: there is a typo in this edition, line 3-4, "feuerroht", which has been corrected to "feuerroth". Modern spelling would use "feuerrot"

Also see the poem by Klopstock to which this is a response.


Text 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 (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2007-07-03
Line count: 28
Word count: 144

I am a German youth
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
I am a German youth
     My hair is curly, my chest is broad;
My father was
A noble man; I am as well.
 
When my eye falls upon injustice,
     My curly hair stands on end,
And my hand
Swells and twitches and snatches at my sword.
 
I am a German youth!
    When I hear the sweet name "Fatherland"
My heart beats [higher]
And my face grows fiery red.--
 
I know a German maiden;
Her eyes are blue, and gentle her gaze,
     And her heart is good,
And blue, oh Hertha, blue are her eyes!
 
And whoever is not a descendent of Tuisto,1
Shall not cast his eyes upon the maiden!
     He shall not cast his eyes,
If he is not a descendent of Tuisto!
 
For in her blue eyes
Shall take delight a noble youth!
     She shall be loved,
Shall be the bride of a noble youth!
 
I am a German youth,
And gaze about me coldly and courageously,
     If there be someone
Who wishes to cast his eye upon the maiden.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Translated titles:
"Vaterlandslied" = "Song of the fatherland"
"Lied" = "Song"

1 Tuisto is the patriarch of the Germanic race.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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.
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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2016-06-27
Line count: 28
Word count: 173