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Ich bin vergnügt, im Siegeston Verkünd' es mein Gedicht, Und mancher Mann mit seiner Kron Und Scepter ist es nicht. Und wär' er's auch; nun, immerhin! Mag er's doch! so ist er, was ich bin. Des Sultans Pracht, des Mogols Geld, Des Glück, wie hieß er doch, Der, als er Herr war von der Welt, Zum Mond hinauf sah noch? - Ich wünsche nichts von alle dem, Zu lächeln drob fällt mir bequem. Zufrieden seyn, das ist mein Spruch! Was hülf mir Geld und Ehr? Das, was ich hab', ist mir genug, Wer klug ist wünscht nicht sehr; Denn, was man wünschet, wenn man's hat, So ist man darum doch nicht satt. Und Geld und Ehr ist obendrauf Ein sehr zerbrechlich Glaß. Der Dinge wunderbarer Lauf, (Erfahrung lehret das) Verändert wenig oft in viel, Und setzt dem reichen Mann sein Ziel. Recht thun, und edel seyn und gut, Ist mehr als Geld und Ehr; Da hat man immer guten Muth Und Freude um sich her, Und man ist stolz, und mit sich eins, Scheut kein Geschöpf und fürchtet keins. Ich bin vergnügt, im Siegeston Verkünd' es mein Gedicht, Und mancher Mann mit seiner Kron Und Scepter ist es nicht. Und wär' er's auch; nun, immerhin! Mag er's doch! so ist er, was ich bin.
Note: First published in Der Wandsbecker Bothe, Ao.1771, No.99. Freytags, den 21. Junius. Here the poem has no title, but an introductory paragraph:
Das folgende Lied scheint mit einem Liede "my mind a kingdom is etc." in den Reliques of ancient Poetry Aehnlichkeit zu haben. Ob es eine freie Uebersetzung dieses Liedes oder eine sclavische Nachahmung oder ob es nichts von beiden sey, das mag der Leser entscheiden, der sie beide gelesen hat.
Two versions of the quoted poem can be found here and here.
Composition:
- Set to music by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Zufriedenheit", D 501 (1816), published 1895 [ voice, piano ]
Text Authorship:
- by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Ein Lied", first published 1771
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Tevredenheid", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 217
I am happy, in victorious tones
My poem declares it,
And many a man with his crown
And scepter is not happy.
And if he were: well, all the better!
Just let him be! He is as I am now.
The sultan’s splendor, the mogul’s money,
The luck of what’s-his-name,
Of he who, when he was lord of the world,
Still had his eye on the moon?
I don’t want any of that,
I’m content just to smile at it.
To be content, that is my motto!
...
And money and honor are more
Fragile than glass.
This is the way of wonderful things,
(Experience teaches that)
It evolves slowly but constantly,
And is the goal of the rich man.
Do what is right and noble and good,
As that matters more than money and honor;
As one will always be in good spirits
And be surrounded by joy
And one will be proud of yourself,
Shunnig and fearing no other creature.
I am happy, in victorious tones
My poem declares it,
And many a man with his crown
And scepter is not happy.
And if he were: well, all the better!
Just let him be! He is as I am now.
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Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Stanfield Prichard, (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 Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Ein Lied", first published 1771
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This text was added to the website: 2016-05-17
Line count: 36
Word count: 244