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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 (4 Lieder für 1 Baritonstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 2, stanzas 1-6 [ baritone and piano ]
Text Authorship:
- by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "Die drei Zigeuner", appears in Gedichte, in 3. Drittes Buch, in Gestalten
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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: 146
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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "Die drei Zigeuner", appears in Gedichte, in 3. Drittes Buch, in Gestalten
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This text was added to the website: 2008-10-16
Line count: 24
Word count: 142