You are thinking of something bitter to say | You are thinking of something bitter to say to me

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by Georg Friedrich Daumer (1800 - 1875)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Bittres mir zu sagen denkst du

(Sung text for setting by E. Wolff)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Persian (Farsi)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

  Bitteres mir zu sagen denkst du;
Aber nun und nimmer kränkst du,
Ob du noch so böse bist.
Deine herben Redetaten
Scheitern an korallner Klippe,
Werden all zu reinen Gnaden,
Denn sie müssen, um zu schaden,
Schiffen über eine Lippe,
Die die Süße selber ist.

Composition:

Erich J. Wolff

Text Authorship:

by Georg Friedrich Daumer (1800 - 1875), no title, appears in Hafis - Eine Sammlung persischer Gedichte, in Hafis, no. 35, first published 1846

Based on:

a text in Persian (Farsi) by Hafis (c1327 - 1390) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Bitt're taal te spreken denk je", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "You are thinking of something bitter to say", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2011, (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: 2003-11-04
Line count: 9
Word count: 46

You are thinking of something bitter to say

(Sung text translation for setting by E. Wolff)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You are thinking of something bitter to say to me
But neither now nor ever might you cause offence,
Although you are so angry.
Your sharp speech
Founders on coral rocks,
And becomes pure grace,
For it must, in order to cause shame,
Sail over a pair of lips
Which is Sweetness itself.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Georg Friedrich Daumer (1800 - 1875), no title, appears in Hafis - Eine Sammlung persischer Gedichte, in Hafis, no. 35, first published 1846
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in Persian (Farsi) by Hafis (c1327 - 1390) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-04
Line count: 9
Word count: 53