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Es waren einst drei Zecher, Vereint in Lieb und Treu; Sie tranken aus einem Becher Und schliefen auf einer Streu. Und als sie schied das Leben, Einsenkten sie in den Grund Drei junge, grüne Reben Und machten einen Bund Und sprachen: In sieben Jahren Woll'n wir hier wieder steh'n; Gott schütz' uns vor Gefahren, Ade, auf Wiedersehn! Doch als die Zeit verronnen, Hielt nur ein einz'ger Wort. Ein Stock war grün umsponnen, Zwei aber waren verdorrt.
Confirmed with Rudolph Baumbach, Lied eines fahrenden Gesellen, vierte Auflage, Leipzig: A. G. Liebeskind, 1882, page 95.
Text Authorship:
- by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Die drei Zecher", appears in Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen [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 Eduard Köllner (1839 - 1891), "Die drei Zecher", op. 199 (Drei Gesänge für vierstimmigen Männerchor) no. 2, published 1894 [ ttbb chorus ], Berlin: Fr. Luckardt [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johannes Pache (1857 - 1897), "Die drei Zecher", subtitle: "Ballade", op. 36, published 1886 [ baritone and piano ], Zürich, Hug [sung text not yet checked]
- by Theobald Rehbaum (1835 - 1918), "Die drei Zecher", op. 16 no. 6, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen von Rud. Baumbach für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 6, Berlin, Erler [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The three carousers", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Melanie Trumbull
This text was added to the website: 2020-02-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 76
Once there were three carousers, United in love and loyalty; They drank from a single beaker And slept upon a single bed of straw. And when life came to part them, They sank into the ground Three young, green grapevines And made a pact And said: In seven years Let us stand here again; May God protect us from dangers, Adieu, good-bye! But when the time had passed Only one of them kept his word. One vine was shrouded in green, But two had withered.
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 Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Die drei Zecher", appears in Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
This text was added to the website: 2025-07-05
Line count: 16
Word count: 85