by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Abschied
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE FRE ITA SPA
Unangeklopft ein Herr tritt Abends bei mir ein:
»Ich habe die Ehr', Ihr Rezensent zu sein!«
Sofort nimmt er das Licht in die Hand,
besieht lang meinen Schatten an der Wand,
rückt nah und fern: »Nun, lieber junger Mann,
sehn Sie doch gefälligst mal 
Ihre Nas' so von der Seite an!
Sie geben zu, daß das ein Auswuchs is'.«
Das? Alle Wetter - gewiß!
Ei Hasen! ich dachte nicht, all' mein Lebtage nicht,
daß ich so eine Weltsnase führt' im Gesicht!

Der Mann sprach noch [Verschiedenes]1 hin und her,
ich weiß, auf meine Ehre, nicht mehr;
meinte vielleicht, ich sollt' ihm beichten.
Zuletzt stand er auf; ich tat ihm leuchten.
Wie wir nun an der Treppe sind,
da geb' ich ihm, ganz frohgesinnt,
einen kleinen Tritt, 
nur so von hinten aufs Gesäße mit -
alle Hagel! ward das ein Gerumpel,
ein Gepurzel, ein Gehumpel!
Dergleichen hab' ich nie gesehn, 
all' mein Lebtage nicht gesehn
einen Menschen so rasch die Trepp' hinabgehn!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   H. Wolf 

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Wolf: "Verschied'nes"

Text Authorship:

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) , "Comiat", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Farewell", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Adieu", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Adieu", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Congedo", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Gerardo Garciacano Hinojosa) (Simone von Büren) , "Despedida", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 160

Farewell
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Without knocking, a gentleman comes visiting me one evening:
"I have the honour to be your critic!" [he says.]
Immediately he takes the light in his hand,
gazes long at my shadow on the wall,
stepping close and then stepping back: "Now, my good young man,
kindly see how your nose 
looks from the side!
You must admit that it is a protuberance."
This? Good gracious - so it is!
My word! I never imagined - my whole life long -
that such a world-sized nose I bore on my face!

The man said various other things about this and that,
and on my honour, I remember no more;
perhaps he thought I should give him a confession.
Finally he stood up and I lit his way out.
As we stood at the top of the stairs,
I gave him, cheerfully,
a small kick
from behind, on the backside,
and by hail! what a jolting,
tumbling, and hobbling!
The equal have I never seen, 
my whole life long,
of a man going so quickly down the stairs!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 174