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Wie du mit giftgem Stachel fast
Die Kiefern mir zerrissen hast!
Mein Ohr durchdröhnet ohne Rast
Dein Marterstich;
Du bist der Nerven Pein und Last:
Fluch über dich!
Stellt Fiebers Glut und Frost sich ein,
[Zwickt Kolik, reißt's]1 in Mark und Bein,
Mitleid und Trost wird uns verleihn
Des Nachbar's Herz;
Du aber fügst zu Höllenpein
Noch Spottes Schmerz!
Mir [träufelt Speichel]2 über's Kinn;
Die Sessel schleudr' ich her und hin;
Um's Feuer tanzt mit lustgem Sinn
Die kleine Brut,
Ein Schwarm von Hummeln -- ach, ich bin
Wahnsinn und Wuth!
Von allen Plagen auf der Welt,
[Mißrathenen Ernten]3, wenig Geld,
Der Schurken Zunft, die Netze stellt
Mit List und Fleiß,
Und dem, was Freud' uns sonst vergällt:
Trägst du den Preis!
Aus jenem Pfuhl, der Hölle heißt,
Wo der Verzweiflung Jammer kreißt,
Und jede Furie Satan preis't,
Zahnweh, fürwahr!
Bist du der größte Plagegeist
Der ganzen Schaar.
O Schwefelhaupt im Glutpalast,
Der du die Qual geboren hast,
Und willst, daß Nebel und Morast
Auf [heitrer Bahn]4 weh';
Gieb Jedem, der Alt-Schottland haßt,
Ein Jahr [lang Zahnweh]5!
R. Schumann sets stanzas 1-4, 6
Confirmed with Robert Burns’ Gedichte, deutsch von W. Gerhard, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth., 1840, pages 32-33
1 Schumann: "Zwickt's hier und dort"2 Schumann: "rieselt's eiskalt"
3 Schumann: "Missrathner Erndte"
4 Schumann: "Erden"
5 Schumann: "dein Weh"
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Zahnweh" [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Address To The Toothache"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Zahnweh", op. 55 no. 2 (1846), published 1847, stanzas 1-4,6 [ SATB chorus ], from Fünf Lieder nach Robert Burns für gemischten Chor, no. 2, Leipzig, Whistling [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Mal de queixal", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Tandpijn", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Toothache", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Dr. Gerrit den Hartogh , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2004-06-29
Line count: 36
Word count: 183
How with a poisonous barb you have
Almost torn my jaws to pieces!
Ceaselessly my ear is droning from
Your martyring stab;
You are the torture and burden of my nerves:
A curse upon you!
When we are struck by the burning and frost of fever,
[When colic pinches, when neuralgia rages]1 in bone and marrow,
Then sympathy and comfort are given to us
By the neighbour’s heart;
To hellish agony, however, you add
Yet the pain of derision!
[Spittle runs]2 over my chin;
I hurl the chairs hither and thither;
Around the fire with merry spirit
The little brood dances,
A swarm of bumblebees – ah, I am all
Insanity and fury!
Among all the plagues upon the earth,
Failed [harvests]3, little money,
The guild of miscreants that sets up nets
With cunning and diligence,
And of everything that usually ruins our happiness:
You take the prize!
From that pit that is called Hell,
Where the misery of despair is born,
And every fury praises Satan,
Truly, toothache,
You are the greatest pest
Of the whole horde.
Oh sulphurous head in the fiery palace,
Who has given birth to agony,
And wishes that fog and mire
Cause woe upon [merry paths]4;
Give everyone who hates old Scotland
[The toothache]5 for a whole year!
1 Schumann: "When it pinches here and there"
2 Schumann: "Chills course ice-cold"
3 Schumann: "harvest"
4 Schumann: "earth"
5 Schumann: "Your pain"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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 Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Zahnweh"
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Address To The Toothache"
This text was added to the website: 2017-08-16
Line count: 36
Word count: 221