by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Die drei Zigeuner
 (Sung text for setting by C. Schnabel)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG FRE POR
Drei Zigeuner fand ich einmal
Liegen an einer Weide,
Als mein Fuhrwerk mit müder Qual
Schlich durch sandige Heide.

Hielt der eine für sich allein
In den Händen die Fiedel,
Spielte, umglänzt vom Abendschein,
Sich ein feuriges Liedel.

Hielt der zweite die Pfeif' im Mund,
Blickte nach seinem Rauche,
Froh, als ob er vom Erdenrund
Nichts zum Glücke mehr brauche.

Und der dritte behaglich schlief,
Und sein Zymbal am Baum hing;
Über die Saiten der Windhauch lief,
Über sein Herz ein Traum ging.

An den Kleidern trugen die drei
Löcher und bunte Flicken;
Aber sie boten trotzig frei
Spott den Erdengeschicken.

Dreifach haben sie mir gezeigt,
Wenn das Leben uns nachtet,
Wie man's verraucht, verschläft, vergeigt,
Und es dreifach verachtet.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-6 of the original text.

Composition:

    Set to music by Carl Schnabel (1809 - 1881), "Die drei Zigeuner", op. 129 no. 2, stanzas 1-6 [ baritone and piano ]

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The three Gypsies", copyright ©
  • ENG English (Walter A. Aue) , "The Three Gypsies", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (Arthur Westbrook) , "The three gypsies"
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Les trois tsiganes", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Margarida Moreno) , "Os três ciganos", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 145

Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Three Gypsies I found once
lying by a willow,
as my cart with weary torture
crawled over the sandy heath.

One, for himself alone, was holding 
his fiddle in his hands,
playing, as the sunset glow surrounded him,
a merry little tune.

The second held a pipe in his mouth
and watched his smoke
with cheer, as if from the world
he required nothing more for his happiness.

And the third slept comfortably:
from the tree hung his cymbalom;
over its strings the wind's breath ran;
in his heart a dream was playing.

On the clothing those three wore
were holes and colorful patches;
but, defiantly free, they made
a mockery of earthly fate.

Trebly they showed me
how, when life grows dark for us,
one can smoke, sleep or play it away,
and thus trebly to scorn it.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-6 of the original text.

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.


Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 159