English translations of Vier Gedichte von Goethe, opus 11
by Margarete Schweikert (1887 - 1957)
Ha, ich bin der Herr der Welt! Mich lieben die Edlen, die mir dienen. Ha, ich bin der Herr der Welt! Ich liebe die Edlen, denen ich gebiete. O gib mir, Gott im Himmel, Daß ich mich der Höh und Liebe Nicht überhebe.
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Königlich Gebet"
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Ha! I am the Ruler of the World! I am beloved by the Noble, who serve me. Ha! I am the Ruler of the World! I love the Noble, for whom I provide. O grant, God in Heaven, that my elevation and love I will not overstrain.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet ArchiveFor any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Königlich Gebet"
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 7
Word count: 47
Es war ein Kind, das wollte nie Zur Kirche sich bequemen, Und sonntags fand es stets ein Wie, Den Weg ins Feld zu nehmen. Die Mutter sprach: die Glocke tönt, Und so ist dir's befohlen, Und hast du dich nicht hingewöhnt, Sie kommt und wird dich holen. Das Kind, es denkt: die Glocke hängt Da droben auf dem Stuhle. Schon hat's den Weg ins Feld gelenkt, Als lief' es aus der Schule. Die Glocke, Glocke tönt nicht mehr, Die Mutter hat gefackelt. Doch welch ein Schrecken hinterher! Die Glocke kommt gewackelt. Sie wackelt schnell, man glaubt es kaum; Das arme Kind im Schrecken, Es läuft, es rennt, als wie im Traum; Die Glocke wird es decken. Doch nimmt es richtig seinen Husch Und mit gewandter Schnelle, Eilt es durch Anger, Feld und Busch Zur Kirche, zur Kapelle. Und jeden Sonn- und Feiertag Gedenkt es an den Schaden, Läßt durch den ersten Glockenschlag Nicht in Person sich laden.
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Die wandelnde Glocke"
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There was a boy who never wanted to deign to go to church; and Sundays always found a way to go out into the field. His mother said: the bell is tolling and so you are ordered, and if you won't make it your habit, it will come and fetch you. The child, it thought: the bell hangs high up there in the belfry. And already he was off to the field, as if he had just been let out of school. The bell, the bell chimed no longer, Mother was just stalling him. But what a horror behind him! The bell was coming waddling after him. It waddled quickly, one could hardly believe it; the poor child was in terror. He ran and ran as if in a nightmare; the bell was going to swallow him whole. But he makes a good dart for it, and with agile speed, hurries through meadow, field and bush to the church, to the chapel. And every Sunday and Holiday he thinks about his misdeed, and at the first toll of the bell, he does not allow it to summon him in person.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet ArchiveFor any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Die wandelnde Glocke"
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 190
Euch bedaur' ich, unglücksel'ge Sterne, Die ihr schön seid und so herrlich scheinet, Dem bedrängten Schiffer gerne leuchtet, Unbelohnt von Göttern und von Menschen: Denn ihr liebt nicht, kanntet nie die Liebe! Unaufhaltsam führen [ew'ge]1 Stunden Eure Reihen durch den weiten Himmel. Welche Reise habt ihr schon vollendet! Seit ich, weilend in dem Arm der Liebsten, Euer und der Mitternacht vergessen.
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Nachtgedanken"
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View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Goethe, Dritte Auflage, Berlin: G. Grote'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1873, page 301.
1 Suder: "ewige"I am sorry for you, unfortunate stars, You who are beautiful and shine so gloriously, Who gladly gleam for the hard-pressed sailor, Unrewarded by gods and by people: For you do not love, you never knew love! Inexorably, eternal hours lead Your ranks through the broad heavens. What a journey you have already completed Since I, lingering in the arms of my beloved, Forgot about you and about midnight!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Nachtgedanken"
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This text was added to the website: 2020-03-06
Line count: 10
Word count: 69
Es war einmal ein König, Der hatt' einen [großen Floh]1, Den liebt' er [gar]2 nicht wenig, [Als wie]3 seinen eig'nen Sohn. Da rief er seinen Schneider, Der Schneider kam heran: [Da, miß dem Junker Kleider, Und miß ihm Hosen an!]4 In Sammet und in Seide War er [nun]5 angethan, Hatte Bänder auf dem Kleide, Hatt' auch ein Kreuz daran, Und [war sogleich]6 Minister, Und hatt' einen großen Stern. Da wurden seine Geschwister Bei Hof' auch große Herrn. Und Herrn und Frau'n [am]7 Hofe, Die waren sehr geplagt, Die Königin und die Zofe Gestochen und [genagt]8, Und durften [sie nicht knicken]9, Und [weg sie]10 jucken nicht. Wir [knicken]11 und ersticken Doch gleich, wenn einer sticht.12
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Faust, in Der Tragödie erster Teil (Part I)
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View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Goethe's Faust. Mit gegenüberstehender englischer Übersetzung und erklärenden Noten versehen vom Honorable Robert Talbot. Erster Theil, London, J. Wacey, 1839, pages 239,241.
Note: the text shown is only Mephistopheles' song; Brander has a verse in the middle that is omitted. Modern German would change the following spellings: "angethan" -> "angetan", etc.
1 Walter: "Skorpion"2 Lenz: "fast"
3 Lenz: "Wie"; Walter: "Fast wie"
4 Walter: "Und maß dem Junker Kleider/ Und ein paar Höschen an."
5 Walter: "bald"
6 Lenz: "ward sogleich"; Walter: "war zugleich"
7 Lenz: "bei"
8 Walter: "zernagt"
9 Walter: "doch nicht zwicken"
10 Walter: "auch sich"
11 Walter: "drücken"
12 Röntgen adds:
Wir knicken und ersticken Doch gleich wenn einer sticht. Uns ist ganz kannibalisch wohl, Als wie fünfhundert Säuen!
There once was a king who had a large flea whom he loved not a bit less than his very own son. He called his tailor and the tailor came directly; "Here - make clothing for this knight, and cut him trousers too!" In silk and satin was the flea now made up; he had ribbons on his clothing, and he had also a cross there, and had soon become a minister and had a large star. Then his siblings became great lords and ladies of the court as well. And the lords and ladies of the court were greatly plagued; the queen and her ladies-in-waiting were pricked and bitten, and they dared not flick or scratch them away. But we flick and crush them as soon as one bites!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet ArchiveFor any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Faust, in Der Tragödie erster Teil (Part I)
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 129