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Meine Herren, mit siebzehn Jahren Kam ich auf den Liebesmarkt Und ich habe viel erfahren. Böses gab es viel, Doch das war das Spiel. Aber manches hab ich doch verargt. (Schließlich bin ich ja auch ein Mensch.) Gott sei Dank geht alles schnell vorüber, Auch die Liebe und der Kummer sogar. Wo sind die Tränen von gestern abend? Wo ist der Schnee vom vergangenen Jahr? Freilich geht man mit den Jahren Leichter auf den Liebesmarkt Und umarmt sie dort in Scharen. Aber das Gefühl Wird erstaunlich kühl, Wenn man damit allzuwenig kargt. (Schließlich geht ja jeder [Vorrat]1 zu Ende.) Gott sei Dank geht alles schnell vorüber, Auch die Liebe und der Kummer sogar. Wo sind die Tränen von gestern abend? Wo ist der Schnee vom vergangenen Jahr? Und auch wenn man gut das Handeln Lernte auf der Liebesmess': Lust in Kleingeld zu verwandeln Wird doch niemals leicht. [Nun]2, es wird erreicht. Doch man wird auch älter unterdes. (Schließlich bleibt man ja nicht immer siebzehn.) Gott sei Dank geht alles schnell vorüber, Auch die Liebe und der Kummer sogar. Wo sind die Tränen von gestern abend? Wo ist der Schnee vom vergangenen Jahr?
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View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Die Gedichte von Bertolt Brecht in einem Band, neunte Auflage, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1997, pages 1166-1168.
1 Eisler: "Vorat mal"2 Eisler: "Ach"
Text Authorship:
- by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), title 1: "Lied des Freudenmädchens", title 2: "Nannas Lied" [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 Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Lied der Nanna" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Kurt Weill (1900 - 1950), "Nanna's Lied", 1929 [ voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Anna Brull Piñol) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sean Phillip Mabrey) , "Nanna's Song", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 33
Word count: 195
Gentlemen, with seventeen years of age under my belt
I came up on the Love Market,
and I have learned much.
Much of it gave evil,
yet that was the game,
but, I have a lot to be blamed for.
(When all is said and done, I'm only a human being, too.)
Thanks be to God that it all goes by so quickly,
the love as well as the grief, too.
Where are the tears of yesterday evening?
Where are the snows of yesteryear?
As one goes through the years
it is easier in the Love Market, to be sure,
and you embrace the multitudes there.
But feelings
become astonishingly cool
when one doesn't ration them.
(When all is said and done, each reserve must come to an end.)
Thanks be to God that it all goes by so quickly,
the love as well as the grief, too.
Where are the tears of yesterday evening?
Where are the snows of yesteryear?
And even when one learns the trade really well
in the Fairground of Love:
to change desire into small change
is never easy.
Now, it is achieved.
Yet meanwhile, one grows older, as well.
(When all is said and done, one can't stay seventeen forever.)
Thanks be to God that it all goes by so quickly,
the love as well as the grief, too.
Where are the tears of yesterday evening?
Where are the snows of yesteryear?
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2004 by Sean Phillip Mabrey, (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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), title 1: "Lied des Freudenmädchens", title 2: "Nannas Lied"
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-24
Line count: 33
Word count: 238