Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
If you wish to reprint translations, please use the Reprint Basket (upper right hand corner).
Reminder: You must always use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Gross ist das Leben und reich! Ewige Götter schenkten es uns, lächelnder Güte voll, uns den Sterblichen, Freudegeschaffenen. Aber arm ist des Menschen Herz! Schnell verzagt, vergisst es der reifenden Früchte. Immer wieder mit leeren Händen sitzt der Bettler an staubiger Strasse, drauf das Glück mit den tönenden Rädern leuchtend [vorbeifuhr]1.
Confirmed with Meine Verse. Gesammtausgabe, Dritte Auflage, Berlin: S. Fischer Verlag, 1906, page 236.
1 Marx: "vorüber fuhr"Text Authorship:
- by Otto Erich Hartleben (1864 - 1905), "Gesang des Lebens", written 1898, appears in Meine Verse 1883-1904, appears in Diogenes, Szenen einer Komödie in Versen [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 Joseph Marx (1882 - 1964), "Gesang des Lebens", 1909, published 1912 [ medium voice, piano ], in Lieder und Gesänge, II. Folge, Nr.23 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Sommer (1837 - 1922), "Gesang des Lebens", op. 35 no. 3 [ voice and piano ], confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El cant de la vida", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The song of life", subtitle: "From Diogenes", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chant de la vie", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-06-08
Line count: 10
Word count: 53
Great is life and rich! The eternal gods gave it to us. full of smiling benevolence, [gave it] to us, the mortals, [to us] who were created for joy. But poor is the heart of man! Quickly becoming despondent, it forgets the ripening fruits. Ever anew with empty hands the beggar sits beside the dusty street, whereon Happiness with resounding wheels shiningly drove by.
Subtitle: "From Diogenes"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 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 Otto Erich Hartleben (1864 - 1905), "Gesang des Lebens", written 1898, appears in Meine Verse 1883-1904, appears in Diogenes, Szenen einer Komödie in Versen
This text was added to the website: 2012-07-23
Line count: 10
Word count: 64