To begin | Do your master proud, oh journeyman, build correctly!

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by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Zum Anfang

(Sung text for setting by R. Schumann)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

  Mache deinem Meister Ehre, o Geselle, baue recht!
Wie das Maß er hat genommen, nimm die Kelle, baue recht!
  Nicht um deine Mitgesellen sorge, wie sie mögen baun;
Dafür laß den Meister sorgen, deine Stelle baue recht!
  Frage nicht, was mühsam heute deine Hand gefügt, wie bald
Wohl im Sturm der Zeiten wieder es zerschelle, baue recht!
 ...

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

Composition:

Robert Schumann

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Zum Anfang", appears in Pantheon, in 2. Zweites Bruchstück. Selbstschau

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Al començament", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "To begin", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Pour commencer", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website: 2004-07-03
Line count: 86
Word count: 740

To begin

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Schumann)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

 Do your master proud, oh journeyman, build correctly!
As he measured, you take the trowel, build correctly!
 Do not concern yourself with your fellow journeymen, with how they may be building;
Let the master look out for that, upon your place of work build correctly!
 Do not ask about how quickly that which your hand has painstakingly joined
Will be smashed by the storms of time, build correctly!
 ...

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

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Zum Anfang", appears in Pantheon, in 2. Zweites Bruchstück. Selbstschau
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2013-07-03
Line count: 86
Word count: 931