Vous ai-je donc conseillé

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Hab' ich euch denn je geraten

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Hab' ich euch denn je geraten,
Wie ihr Kriege führen solltet?
Schalt ich euch nach euren Taten,
Wenn ihr Frieden schließen wolltet?

Und so hab' ich auch den Fischer
Ruhig sehen Netze werfen,
Brauchte dem gewandten [Tischer]¹
Winkelmaß nicht einzuschärfen.

Aber ihr wollt besser wissen,
Was ich weiß, da ich bedachte,
Was Natur für mich beflissen,
Schon zu meinem Eigen machte.

Fühlt ihr auch dergleichen Stärke?
Nun, so fördert eure Sachen!
Seht ihr aber meine Werke,
Lernet erst: so wollt' er's machen.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• R. Strauss

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View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Strauss: "Tischler"

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, written 1815, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 5. Buch des Unmuts -- Rendsch Nameh [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 Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Hab' ich euch denn je geraten", op. 67 (Sechs Lieder), Heft 2 no. 2 (1918) [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Us he mai aconsellat", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Have I ever counselled you", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Alberto Pedrotti

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 83

Vous ai‑je donc conseillé

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Vous ai-je donc conseillé
Sur comment vous devriez conduire la guerre ?
Vous ai-je réprimandé, après vos actions,
Quand vous vouliez conclure la paix ?

Et j'ai vu aussi le pêcheur
Tranquillement jeter ses filets,
Je n'ai pas eu besoin, à l'ébéniste habile,
De lui recommander de se servir de l'équerre.

Mais vous voulez connaître mieux
Ce que je sais, moi qui ai pensé
À ce que la nature, empressée envers moi,
A déjà fait pour ma personne.

Ressentez-vous aussi une force semblable ?
Eh bien, faites progresser vos affaires !
Mais si vous voyez mes œuvres,
Apprenez d'abord ceci : c'est ainsi qu'il a voulu faire.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, written 1815, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 5. Buch des Unmuts -- Rendsch Nameh
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-20
Line count: 16
Word count: 102