Because my mouth Is wide with laughter And my throat Is deep with song, You do not think I suffer after I have held my pain So long. Because my mouth Is wide with laughter, You do not hear my inner cry? Because my feet Are gay with dancing You do not know I die?
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, herausgegeben und übertragen von Eva Hesse und Paridam von dem Knesebeck, München: Nymphenburger Verlag, 1953, page 24.
Text Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Minstrel man", appears in The Dream Keeper and Other Poems, first published 1932 [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 Margaret Bonds (1913 - 1972), "Minstrel man", published 1959 [ voice and piano ], from Three dream portraits, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Günter Raphael (1903 - 1960), "Minstrel man", published 1965 [ baritone, piano, oboe, and percussion ], from My Dark Hands = Mein dunklen Hände, no. 3, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Minstrel man", published 1958 [ baritone and piano ], from Meine dunklen Hände, no. 1, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Paridam von dem Knesebeck (c1911 - 2000) , "Bänkelsänger", appears in Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, first published 1953, copyright © and by Eva Hesse (1925 - 2020) , "Bänkelsänger", appears in Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, first published 1953, copyright © ; composed by Günter Raphael, Hermann Reutter.
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 55
Nur weil mein Mund ...
View text with all available footnotes
Confirmed with Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, herausgegeben und übertragen von Eva Hesse und Paridam von dem Knesebeck, München: Nymphenburger Verlag, 1953, page 25.
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Paridam von dem Knesebeck (c1911 - 2000), "Bänkelsänger", appears in Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, first published 1953, copyright © [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- Singable translation by Eva Hesse (1925 - 2020), "Bänkelsänger", appears in Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, first published 1953, copyright © [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Minstrel man", appears in The Dream Keeper and Other Poems, first published 1932
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Günter Raphael (1903 - 1960), "Bänkelsänger", 1965 [ baritone, piano, oboe, and percussion ], from My Dark Hands = Mein dunklen Hände, no. 3, also set in English [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Bänkelsänger", published 1958 [ baritone and piano ], from Meine dunklen Hände, no. 1, also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
This text was added to the website: 2004-01-21
Line count: 16
Word count: 55