The rejection (Kalbeck, set by (Eugen d'Albert, Paul Frommer, Richard Heuberger, Louis Rée, Olga Starcke)) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)

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by Max Kalbeck (1850 - 1921)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Korb

Language: German (Deutsch)

Available translation(s): ENG

Ich habe keinen Schatz,
Und mag auch keinen haben;
Die Muhmen und die Basen,
Die rümpfen ihre Nasen,  -- 
Für hergelauf'ne Knaben
Weiß ich bei mir nicht Platz.
Die Andern mögen lachen
Und mir Gesichter machen,  --  
Ich habe keinen Schatz,
Und mag auch keinen haben. 

Ich will den freien Blick
Vor Keinem niederschlagen;
Mein Mund will gar nichts wissen
Von bärtigen Stachelküssen,
Es thut mir wohl behagen
Mein lediges Geschick.
Mich soll man nicht bethören,
Ich will davon nichts hören,
Ich will den freien Blick
Vor Keinem niederschlagen.

Auch könnt' ich kaum besteh'n
Vor einem Schönheitskenner,
Weil meine braunen Augen
Zum Schmachten wenig taugen;
Zwar denk' ich: für die Männer
Bin ich noch viel zu schön!
Zum Schmuck für meine Haare
Entbehr' ich fremder Waare,
Doch könnt' ich kaum besteh'n
Vor einem Schönheitskenner.

Schlag' Er sich's aus dem Sinn,
Ich nehm' Ihn nicht, Herr Vetter! 
Die kleinen Kinder wiegen,
Das ist ein schlecht Vergnügen.
Ich wünsch' Ihm gutes Wetter
Zur Weiterreise hin.
Mir weiß ich bess're Wochen
Als Thee und Milchbrei kochen -- 
Schlag' Er sich's aus dem Sinn,
Ich nehm' Ihn nicht, Herr Vetter!

Confirmed with Fliegende Blätter, München: Braun & Schneider. No. 1479, 1873, pages 161 - 162.

Authorship

by Max Kalbeck (1850 - 1921), "Der Korb" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Eugen (Francis Charles) d'Albert (1864 - 1932), "Der Korb", op. 18 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1898 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: Adolph Fürstner [sung text checked 1 time]
by Paul Frommer (1868 - 1914), "Der Korb", published 1893 [ voice and piano ], from Zwei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 1, Leipzig, Kahnt Nachf. [sung text not yet checked]
by Richard Heuberger (1850 - 1914), "Der Korb", op. 24 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 6, published 1885 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Rebay & Robitschek [sung text not yet checked]
by Louis Rée (1861 - 1939), "Der Korb", op. 12, Heft 1 (Aus den Mädchenliedern ) no. 4, published 1891 [ high voice and piano ], from Acht Lieder von M. Kalbeck für 1 hohe Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, Leipzig-Reudnitz, Protze [sung text not yet checked]
by Olga Starcke , "Der Korb", published 1893 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 4, Greifenhain, Selbstverlag. (Leipzig, Auerbach Nachf.) [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The rejection", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2017-09-03
Line count: 40
Word count: 183

The rejection

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I have no sweetheart,
And I do not want one either;
My aunts and cousins,
They wrinkle up their noses, --
For foreign lads who turn up
I have no use.
Others may laugh
And pull faces at me, --
I have no sweetheart,
And I do not want one either.

I wish to lower my free eyes
Before no one;
My lips wish to know nothing of
The spiky kisses of bearded gentlemen,
I am very well content with
My unencumbered existence.
No one shall beguile me,
I wish to hear nothing of it,
I wish to lower my free eyes
Before no one.

Also, I could hardly pass muster
Before a connoisseur of beauty,
Because my brown eyes are
Not good at looking soulful;
To be sure, I think that I am
Much too beautiful for men!
As an adornment for my hair
I have no need of foreign wares,
But I could hardly pass muster
Before a connoisseur of beauty.

Put it out of your mind, 
I shall not accept you, good sir!
Rocking little children
Is a poor amusement.
I wish you good weather
For your onward journey.
I know of better ways to spend my weeks
Than cooking tea and milk pudding --
Put it out of your mind, 
I shall not accept you, good sir!

Authorship

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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 Max Kalbeck (1850 - 1921), "Der Korb"

This text was added to the website: 2019-04-28
Line count: 40
Word count: 218