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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. –
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 Walther von Goethe (1818 - 1885), "Der Bettelbube", op. 22, Heft 1 no. 4, published 1851 [ voice and piano ], from Slavische Bilder, no. 4, 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
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 text without footnotes1 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Der Bettelbube", subtitle: "(Slowakisch)"
This text was added to the website: 2025-12-01
Line count: 16
Word count: 95