by Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914)
Translation © by Laura Prichard

Herz, verzage nicht geschwind
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Spanish (Español) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Herz, verzage nicht geschwind,
weil die Weiber Weiber sind.

Argwohn lehre sie dich kennen,
die sich lichte Sterne nennen
und wie Feuerfunken brennen.
Drum verzage nicht geschwind,
weil die Weiber Weiber sind.

Laß dir nicht den Sinn verwirren,
wenn sie süße Weisen girren;
möchten dich mit Listen kirren,
machen dich mit Ränken blind;
weil die Weiber Weiber sind.

Sind einander stets im Bunde,
fechten tapfer mit dem Munde,
wünschen, was versagt die Stunde,
bauen Schlößer in den Wind;
weil die Weiber Weiber sind.

Und so ist ihr Sinn verschroben,
daß sie, lobst du, was zu loben,
mit dem Mund dagegen toben,
ob ihr Herz auch Gleiches sinnt;
weil die Weiber Weiber sind.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cor, no et desesperis tant de pressa", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Heart, don’t despair so quickly", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-20
Line count: 22
Word count: 112

Heart, don’t despair so quickly
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Heart, don’t despair [so] quickly,
because women are women.

Suspicion will teach you to know them,
those [who] call themselves bright stars
and burn [out] like sparks.
Therefore, don’t despair [so] quickly,
because women are women.

Don’t let your senses be confounded,
when they coo sweet melodies;
they want to subdue you with guile,
to make you blind with scheming;	
because women are women.

They are always in league with one another,
fencing boldly with their mouths,
wishing, for what [such a] lesson denies,
building castles in the wind;	
because women are women.

And thus, their minds are misguided:
whatever you praise as worthy,
they will rage against it,
even if their heart agrees with you;
because women are women.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura 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.
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Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2016-02-08
Line count: 22
Word count: 120