Aesop and the Donkey | The donkey spoke to Aesop: "When you propose

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by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781)

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Aesopus und der Esel

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Der Esel sprach zu Aesop: "Wenn du wieder 
ein Geschichtchen von mir ausbringst, 
so lass mich etwas recht Vernünftiges und Sinnreiches sagen."

"Dich etwas Sinnreiches!" sagte Aesop, 
"Wie würde sich das schicken? Würde man nicht sprechen, 
du seist der Sittenlehrer und ich der Esel?"

Text Authorship:

by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781), "Aesopus und der Esel" [author's text not yet checked 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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Aesopus und der Esel", 2008 [medium voice and piano], from Fünf Fablen, no. 1 [ sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Aesop and the Donkey", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 6
Word count: 44

Aesop and the Donkey

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The donkey spoke to Aesop: "When you propose 
another little story about me, 
let me say something sensible and profound."  

"You say something profound?" said Aesop, 
"how would that seem? Wouldn't people then say 
that you were the proper teacher and I the ass?"

Text Authorship:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Aesop and the Donkey", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781), "Aesopus und der Esel"
- Go to the text page.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 6
Word count: 44