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.
[Bitteres]1 zu sagen denkst du; Aber nun und nimmer kränkst du, Ob du noch so böse bist. Deine herben Redetaten Scheitern an korallner Klippe, Werden all zu reinen Gnaden, Denn sie müssen, um zu schaden, Schiffen über eine Lippe, Die die Süße selber ist.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with G. Fr. Daumer, Hafis. Eine Sammlung persischer Gedichte. Nebst poetischen Zugaben aus verschiedenen Völkern und Ländern, Hamburg: Bei Hoffmann und Campe, 1846, page 21.
1 Wolff: "Bitteres mir"Text Authorship:
- by Georg Friedrich Daumer (1800 - 1875), no title, appears in Hafis - Eine Sammlung persischer Gedichte, in Hafis, no. 35, first published 1846 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Bitteres zu sagen denkst du", op. 32 (Neun Lieder und Gesänge) no. 7 (1864), published 1865 [ voice and piano ], Winterthur, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Erich J. Wolff (1874 - 1913), "Bittres mir zu sagen denkst du", Lieder no. 9, published 1914 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Bitt're taal te spreken denk je", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "You are thinking of something bitter to say", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-04
Line count: 9
Word count: 46
You are thinking of something bitter to say [to me] But neither now nor ever might you cause offence, Although you are so angry. Your sharp speech Founders on coral rocks, And becomes pure grace, For it must, in order to cause shame, Sail over a pair of lips Which is Sweetness itself.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet ArchiveFor any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Georg Friedrich Daumer (1800 - 1875), no title, appears in Hafis - Eine Sammlung persischer Gedichte, in Hafis, no. 35, first published 1846
Based on:
- a text in Persian (Farsi) by Hafis (c1327 - 1390) [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-04
Line count: 9
Word count: 53