by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850)
Translation © by Walter A. Aue

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,
Spielt', umglüht 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) 
Once I chanced upon gypsies three
resting in sunny weather,
as my jalopy carried me
wary through gravelly heather.

Just for himself one gypsy had
gotten hold of his fiddle,
played, surrounded by evening's red,
fiery songs for a diddle.

Had the other a pipe in his mouth,
looked at the spiraling matter -
happy, as if from the whole of this earth
nothing could suit him better.

And the third one in comfort slept,
his guitar in a tree bend;
over the strings the breezes crept,
over his heart a dream went.

On their clothing carried the three
holes with patches around them,
but they defied intrepidly
what in their destiny bound them.

Threefold the gypsies revealed that day,
how, when one's life is benighted,
to sing it, to smoke it, to dream it away -
and thrice to detest and deride it.

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

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2008 by Walter A. Aue, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Walter A. Aue.  Contact: waue (AT) dal (DOT) ca

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Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2008-10-16
Line count: 24
Word count: 142