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by O-sen (c1745 - c1780)
Translation by Alfred Henschke (1890 - 1928), as Jucundus Fröhlich Klabund

Ach ich arme kleine Geisha
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Japanese (日本語) 
Ach ich arme kleine Geisha —
Tausend Männer muß ich lieben,
Und nur einer ist geblieben
Mir im Herzen.

Als wir eines blauen Tages
Auf dem Bambusteppich sangen,
Kam ein junger Mann gegangen.
Lächelte . . .

Und wir neigten unsre Stirnen
Voller Demut wie beim Beten,
Luden hold ihn, einzutreten,
Boten Tee und Sake.

Flatternd fiel sein Blick auf meinen
Schlanken Leib. O daß ich stürbe!
O-sen! Leise sagt er: Zirpe
Süß Kirigirisu!

Und ich sang zu der Gitarre:
Morgennebel hüllen drohend
Rings Akashi‘s Küste . . . Lohend
Flammt der Fushijama . . .

Confirmed with Klabund, Die Geisha Osen, München : Roland-Verlag


Text Authorship:

  • by Alfred Henschke (1890 - 1928), as Jucundus Fröhlich Klabund, "Ach ich arme kleine Geisha", appears in Die Geisha O-sen [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Japanese (日本語) by O-sen (c1745 - c1780) [text unavailable]
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Adrianus Gerardus Petrus Verhaar (1900 - 1994), "Ach ich arme kleine Geisha", op. 11 no. 1 (1937), copyright © 1954 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder aus Asien, no. 1, Amsterdam : Donemus [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-04-22
Line count: 20
Word count: 96

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