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Die Sterne, die am Himmel steh'n, Die Mädchen, die am Sonntag gehn, Die Blümlein in dem Garten -- Die krieg' ich all mein Lebtag nicht; Da kann ich lange warten. Die Häßlichen, die Keiner mag, Die Prügel an dem Kirchweihtag, Die Nesseln an dem Graben, Die sind für mich, den Keine mag, Die sind für mich zu haben. Und fällt einmal ein Himmelslicht, So bin ich dabei niemals nicht, Und ist ein Schatz zu fassen -- Ich kann mich wenden, wie ich mag, Dann thu ich es verpassen. Ich hab kein Glück und hab kein [Glück]1, Und wenn ich mal ein Mädel krieg, Die hält's gewiß mit zweien: Der Andre ist ihr Herzensschatz Und ich, ich muß sie freien.
Confirmed with Jugend, Nr. 13 (16. März 1904), page 242
1 Straus: "Sieg"Text Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Pechvogel" [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 Oscar Nathan Straus (1870 - 1954), "Pechvogel", op. 126 no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The unlucky fellow", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Peter Donderwinkel , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 120
The stars upon the heavens, The girls who promenade on Sundays, The little flowers in the garden -- Those I shall never have in my whole life; I could wait around a long time before that would happen. The ugly ones, whom no one likes, The lashes at the parish fair, The nettles along the ditches, Those are for me, whom no woman likes, Those I may have. And should ever a light fall from Heaven, Then I am not never [sic] there when it happens, And if there is a treasure to seize -- I can turn this way and that as much as I want, I always miss out on it. I have no luck and have no [luck]1, And if I should ever get a girl, She will surely two-time me: The other one shall be the darling of her heart And I, I shall have to marry her.
1 Straus: "victory"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Pechvogel"
This text was added to the website: 2017-02-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 153