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by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879)

Der Bettelbube
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Ich bin ein armer Bettelbube;
Mein Bruder ist der Mond, --
Und um ihn her geh'n meine Schwestern, 
Die Wolken bleich und blond.

Mein Vater ist der Thurm, der morsche, 
Der steht am Unkenteich; --
Und meine Mutter steht am Wege, 
Die alte, hohle Eich'!

Ich bin ein armer Bettelbube; 
Wenn ich gestorben bin, --
So nehmt und legt zu meiner Mutter 
Mich in den Graben hin.

Da ist mein weites Gruftgewölbe
Das mächt'ge Himmelszelt; --
Beklagend mich, ziehn meine Schwestern, 
Mein Bruder durch die Welt. –

Available sung texts:   ← What is this?

•   W. Goethe 

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with Ost und West, Blätter für Kunst, Literatur und geselliges Leben, Vierter Jahrgang (Mittwoch den 8. Juli 1840), No. 55, page 261.


Text Authorship:

  • by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Der Bettelbube", subtitle: "(Slowakisch)" [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 Walther von Goethe (1818 - 1885), "Der Bettelbube", op. 22 (Slavische Bilder), Heft 1 no. 4, published 1851 [ voice and piano ], Bonn: N. Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The beggar-boy", subtitle: "(Slovakian)", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 88

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