The monk | A monk sits pale in the confessional chair

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by Joseph Samuel Tauber (1822 - 1879)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Mönch

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Ein Mönch sitzt bleich im Beichtstuhl d'rin, 
Ein schönes Weib kniet zu ihm hin.

"Mein Jesu, sei gebenedeit, 
Doch seine Priester maledeit; 

Der Alles mir im Leben war, 
Barg treulos falsch sich im Talar;
 
Verkuppelt' mich mit kalter Ruh, 
Sprach seinen Segen laut dazu.

Mein Herz liebt den, um den es bricht, 
Den Bauernherren will es nicht!"

Sie weint und schweigt. Sie küßt die Hand, 
Die er ihr reicht halb abgewandt. 

Die Arme kreuzend auf der Brust 
Sitzt er und träumt. Ist's Weh, ist's Lust?

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Confirmed with Für Musik. Lieder, Romanzen und Chöre von J.S. Tauber, Wien: Druck der typografisch-literarisch-artistischen Anstalt (L.C Zamarski & E. Dittmarsch), 1863, page 30.

Text Authorship:

by Joseph Samuel Tauber (1822 - 1879), "Der Mönch", appears in Für Musik, in Romanzen [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):

[ None yet in the database ]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The monk", 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: 2025-11-25
Line count: 14
Word count: 87

The monk

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

A monk sits pale in the confessional chair,
A beautiful women kneels, facing him.

"May my Jesus be blessed,
But a curse upon his priests;

He who was everything to me in life,
Secreted himself, faithless and false, in a cassock; 

With cold equanimity he married me,
Spoke the blessing upon the marriage loudly.

My heart loves him over whom it breaks,
It does not want the gentleman farmer!"

She weeps and falls silent. She kisses the hand
That he, half turned away, extends to her.

Crossing his arms upon his breast,
He sits and dreams. Is it woe, is it joy?

View text with all available footnotes

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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 Joseph Samuel Tauber (1822 - 1879), "Der Mönch", appears in Für Musik, in Romanzen
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 105