The beggar-boy | I am a poor beggar-boy

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by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Bettelbube

(Sung text for setting by W. Goethe)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Ich bin ein armer Bettelbube;
Mein Bruder ist der Mond, --
Und um ihn her geh'n meine Schwestern, 
Die Wolken bleich und blond.

Mein Vater ist der Thurm, der morsche, 
Der steht am Unkenteich; --
Und meine Mutter steht am Kreuzweg, 
Die alte, hohle Eich'!

Ich bin ein armer Bettelbube; 
Wenn ich gestorben bin, --
So nehmt und legt zu meiner Mutter 
Mich in den Graben hin.

Da ist mein weites Gruftgewölbe
Das nächt'ge Himmelszelt; --
Und mich beklagend zieh'n die Schwestern, 
Der Bruder durch die Welt. –

Composition:

Walther von Goethe

Text Authorship:

by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Der Bettelbube", subtitle: "(Slowakisch)"

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The beggar-boy", subtitle: "(Slovakian)", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 88

The beggar‑boy

(Sung text translation for setting by W. Goethe)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I am a poor beggar-boy;
My brother is the moon, --
And around him my sisters move,
The clouds pale and blonde.

My father is the tower, the ramshackle one,
That stands by the frog pond; --
And my mother stands at the crossroads,
The old, hollow oak!

I am a poor beggar-boy;
When I have died, --
Then take me and lay me
Into the ditch beside my mother.

There is the broad vault of my crypt:
The nocturnal canopy of heaven; --
And lamenting over me, my sisters, my brother,
Travel through the world. --

Subtitle: "(Slovakian)"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Der Bettelbube", subtitle: "(Slowakisch)"
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2025-12-01
Line count: 16
Word count: 95