A maiden once asked her aunt

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by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Pythia

(Sung text for setting by M. Reger)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG

Hat einmal ein Mädel die Muhme gefragt,
Was Liebe denn eigentlich sei?
Da machte die Alte ein pfiffig Gesicht
Und lachte so eigen dabei.
 
"Die Liebe? Das ist ein verschlossener Schrein,
Sieht außen gar unschuldig aus,
Doch hebst du im Fürwitz den Deckel, mein Kind,
Springt hurtig ein Teufelchen 'raus."
 
Das Mägdlein ist 'gangen, es ließ ihm der Spruch
Der Alten nicht Frieden noch Ruh',
Stand bald mit dem hurtigen Teufelein
Im Kästchen auf "Du und Du."

Composition:

Max Reger

Text Authorship:

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Pythia", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Vermischte Gedichte, no. 37

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-06
Line count: 12
Word count: 82

Pythia

(Sung text translation for setting by M. Reger)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

A maiden once asked her aunt:
What is love, actually?
The old lady made a canny face
And laughed so peculiarly the while.

"Love? It is a sealed shrine
That looks quite innocent from the outside,
But if you lift the lid in curiosity, my child,
A little devil will leap out swiftly.

The maiden went away, what the old lady had said
Left her neither peace nor rest,
And soon she and the  swift little devil
In the box were intimately acquainted.

Translations of title(s):
"Hat einmal ein Mädel die Muhme gefragt" = "A maiden once asked her aunt"
"Pythia" = "Pythia"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 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 Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Pythia", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Vermischte Gedichte, no. 37
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This text was added to the website: 2023-10-21
Line count: 12
Word count: 86