by Ignaz Franz Castelli (1781 - 1862)
Translation © by Johann Winkler

Wås ih fürcht'
Language: German (Lower Austrian) 
Our translations:  ENG
Kånn mih går nit beklåg'n,
bin nit krånk, kånn's nit såg'n,
håb' a Kuh und a Pferd,
håb' a Haus und an Herd,
håb' a Weib und a Kind,
nimmt mir's keiner so g'schwind.

Wånn mir's Pferd tät' krebier'n,
wånn ih d'Kuh tät' verlier'n,
tät' mir wåhrlih recht weh,
ging mir just so wie eh'.
Ohne Pferd, ohne Kuh
hätt' ih dessentweg'n g'nuh.

Wånn a Feuer auskam'
und mei Häuserl mir nahm'
würd' mir an recht'n Stoß geb'n,
tät's hålt doh überleb'n;
håt ma 'n lustigen Mut,
schlåft ma überåll gut.

Müsst' ih krånk lieg'n im Bett
und könnt' årbeit'n nöt,
wånn ih's übel a nahm',
denk' ih, Gott sucht dih ham.
Tät' mei Lies'l mih pfleg'n,
schnåpp ih auf, - nun, mein'tweg'n.

Wånn der Tod åber kam'
und mein Weiberl mir nahm'
und mein Kind'l dazu,
hätt' ih nimmermehr Ruh,
wär' mir d'gånze Welt leer,
bis ih ah droben wär'.

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 (Johann Winkler) , "What I'm Afraid of", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2025-12-06
Line count: 30
Word count: 150

What I'm Afraid of
Language: English  after the German (Lower Austrian) 
I can't complain,
I can't say that I'm ill,
I've a cow and a horse,
I've a house and a stove,
I've a wife and a child
which nobody shall take away from me.

If my horse should die,
if I lose my cow,
this would hurt me indeed,
but I'd be as well off as I was before:
without horse, without cow
I'd have enough just the same.

If a fire broke out
and took away my house,
this would be a heavy blow,
but I'd survive it.
Who is of good cheer
can sleep well everywhere.

If I had to lie sick in bed
and couldn't do my work,
I'd resent that,
but I'd think: God's trying you.
My Liz would nurse me,
and should I die - well, for my sake!

But if death came
and took away my wife
and my child into the bargain,
I'd find rest nowhere;
the whole world would be empty for me,
until I were up in heaven too.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Lower Austrian) to English copyright © 2025 by Johann Winkler, (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: 

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2025-12-06
Line count: 30
Word count: 167