What a terrible misery

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by Ludwig Anzengruber (1839 - 1889)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Volksweise

(Sung text for setting by G. Lazarus)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

I.
Was ist es mit dem Leben
Für eine arge Not,
Muß leiden und muß sterben
Zuletzt den bittern Tod.

Kam ich doch auf die Erden
Ganz ohne Wunsch und Will',
Ich weiß es nicht von wannen,
Und kenn' nicht Zweck und Ziel.

Es tritt die bunten Auen
Nur einmal unser Fuß,
Für kurze Zeit nur tauschen
Wir Händedruck und Gruß.

Und was uns auch von Freuden
Und Leiden zugewandt,
Das mehret und das mindert
Sich unter Menschenhand.

Drum lasset uns in Freundschaft
Einander recht verstehn
Die kurze Strecke Weges,
Die wir zusammen gehn.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-5 of the original text.

Composition:

Gustav Lazarus

Im Volkston II. Sammlung: moderne Preislieder komponiert für Die Woche

Text Authorship:

by Ludwig Anzengruber (1839 - 1889), "Volksweise", written 1882, appears in Gedichte und Aphorismen, in Alte Weisen

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-04-01
Line count: 42
Word count: 183

Folk melody

(Sung text translation for setting by G. Lazarus)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I.
What a terrible misery
It is with life,
One must suffer and at the end
Die a bitter death.

After all, I came upon the earth
Quite without wish or will,
I know not whence
And am not aware of purpose and goal.

Our foot treads only once
Upon these colourful meadows
Only for a short time do we exchange
Handshake and greeting.

And whatever measure of joys
And sorrows are allocated to us,
It grows and diminishes
Under the hand of mankind.

Therefore let us in friendship
Understand each other properly
For the short stretch of the path
That we walk together.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-5 of the original text.

Translations of title(s):
"Volksweise" = "Folk melody"
"Was ist es mit dem Leben" = "What is it in life"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 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 Ludwig Anzengruber (1839 - 1889), "Volksweise", written 1882, appears in Gedichte und Aphorismen, in Alte Weisen
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This text was added to the website: 2021-07-01
Line count: 42
Word count: 220