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by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905)
Translation © by John H. Campbell

Bin ein fahrender Gesell
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Bin ein fahrender Gesell,
Kenne keine Sorgen.
Labt mich heut' der Felsenquell,
Thut es Rheinwein morgen.
Bin ein Ritter lobesan,
Reit' auf Schusters Rappen,
Führ' den lock'ren Zeisighahn
Und den Spruch im Wappen:
  Lustig Blut und leichter Sinn
  Hin ist hin, hin ist hin. 
        Amen.

Zieh' ich in ein Städtchen ein,
Spür' ich's im Gehirne,
Wo man trifft den besten Wein
Und die schönste Dirne.
Spielmann lächelt wohlgemuth,
Streicht die Fiedel schneller,
Und ich werf' ihm in den Hut
Meinen letzten Heller.
  Lustig Blut und leichter Sinn
  Hin ist hin, hin ist hin.
        Amen.

Meister Wirth, darfst heut nicht ruh'n,
Schlag' heraus den Zapfen! 
Back', Frau Wirthin, mir ein Huhn 
Und zum Nachtisch Krapfen! 
Was ich heut nicht zahlen kann,
Zahlen will ich's künftig,
Darum schreib's mit Kreide an,
Wirth, und denk' vernünftig:
  Lustig Blut und leichter Sinn,
  Hin ist hin, hin ist hin.
        Amen. 

Wein' dir nicht die Äuglein trüb',
Mägdelein, vor Trauer!
Fahrender Gesellen Lieb'
Ist von kurzer Dauer;
Fahrender Gesellen Lieb'
Endet vor den Thoren.
Wein' dir nicht die Äuglein trüb';
Hast nicht viel verloren.
  Lustig Blut und leichter Sinn,
  Hin ist hin, hin ist hin.
        Amen.

Kommt ein Stern mit einem Schwanz,
Will die Welt zertrümmern,
Leiert euren Rosenkranz,
Mich soll's wenig kümmern.
Wird dem Weltenbrand zum Raub
Berg und Wald und Haide,
Wird das Wirtshaus auch zu Staub,
Schwarzes Bret und Kreide.
  Lustig Blut und leichter Sinn,
  Hin ist hin, hin ist hin.
        Amen.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Busoni •   A. Foote •   M. von Weinzierl 

F. Busoni sets stanzas 1-2, 4-5
M. von Weinzierl sets stanzas 1-4
A. Foote sets stanzas 1, 3-4

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with Rudolf Baumbach, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Dritte Auflage, Leipzig: Verlag von A.G. Liebeskind, 1881, pages 1-3.


Text Authorship:

  • by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Bin ein fahrender Gesell", appears in Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Go to the general view


Research team for this page: John H. Campbell , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 55
Word count: 240

I am a young wayfarer
NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
I am a young wayfarer,   
without worries:
today I drink from the spring,
tomorrow the Rhine-wine.
I am an honorable knight, 
riding on Shank's pony, 
On my coat of arms
is emblaz'd the motto:
Merry blood and light spirit
and what's lost is lost. 
Amen.

I arrive in a small town
and I can easily sniff-out
where to find the best wine
and the beautiful women.
A minstrel smiles cheerfully 
playing his fiddle briskly
and into his hat I toss
my last coins.
Merry blood and light spirit
and what's lost is lost. 
Amen.

...
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Weep you not with eyes so red,
Maiden, before mourning know:
the wayfarer's love
is of short duration, 
the wayfarer's love is so brief
it lasts hardly til' I'm out the door.
Weep you not with eyes so red,
you've not lost much:
Merry blood and light spirit
and what's lost is lost. 
Amen.

A comet falls thru' the sky, 
it threatens the end of the world,
recite your rosary,
little will come of it.
A great Fire could come and destroy
Mountains, forest and heath,
the inn, all reduced to dust,
its boards all blackend ashes.
Merry blood and light spirit
and whats lost is lost.
Amen.

View text with all available footnotes

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell, (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 Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Bin ein fahrender Gesell", appears in Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 55
Word count: 203

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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