The beggar-boy | I am a poor beggar-boy

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by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Bettelbube

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Ich bin ein armer Bettelbube;
Mein Bruder ist der Mond, --
Und um ihn her geh'n meine Schwestern, 
Die Wolken bleich und blond.

Mein Vater ist der Thurm, der morsche, 
Der steht am Unkenteich; --
Und meine Mutter steht am [Wege]¹, 
Die alte, hohle Eich'!

Ich bin ein armer Bettelbube; 
Wenn ich gestorben bin, --
So nehmt und legt zu meiner Mutter 
Mich in den Graben hin.

Da ist mein weites Gruftgewölbe
Das [mächt'ge]² Himmelszelt; --
[Beklagend mich, ziehn meine]³ Schwestern, 
[Mein]⁴ Bruder durch die Welt. –

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• W. Goethe

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Ost und West, Blätter für Kunst, Literatur und geselliges Leben, Vierter Jahrgang (Mittwoch den 8. Juli 1840), No. 55, page 261.

¹ von Goethe: "Kreuzweg"
² von Goethe: "nächt'ge"
³ von Goethe: "Und mich beklagend zieh'n die"
⁴ von Goethe: "Der"

Text Authorship:

by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Der Bettelbube", subtitle: "(Slowakisch)" [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 Walter von Goethe (1817 - 1885), "Der Bettelbube", op. 22 (Slavische Bilder), Heft 1 no. 4, published [1851] [ voice and piano ], Bonn: N. Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The beggar-boy", subtitle: "(Slovakian)", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 88

The beggar‑boy

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I am a poor beggar-boy;
My brother is the moon, --
And around him my sisters move,
The clouds pale and blonde.

My father is the tower, the ramshackle one,
That stands by the frog pond; --
And my mother stands [along the road]¹,
The old, hollow oak!

I am a poor beggar-boy;
When I have died, --
Then take me and lay me
Into the ditch beside my mother.

There is the broad vault of my crypt:
The [mighty]² canopy of heaven; --
[Lamenting]³ over me, my sisters, my brother,
Travel through the world. --

Subtitle: "(Slovakian)"

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ von Goethe: "at the crossroads"
² von Goethe: "nocturnal"
³ von Goethe: "And lamenting"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Der Bettelbube", subtitle: "(Slowakisch)"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-12-01
Line count: 16
Word count: 95