Ως διαβολάκος, κύριε

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Christakis Poumbouris

Ich armer Teufel, Herr Baron

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE GRE ITA

Ich armer Teufel, Herr Baron,
Beneide Sie um Ihren Stand,
Um Ihren Platz so nah dem Thron
Und um manch schön' Stück Ackerland,
Um Ihres Vaters festes Schloß,
Um seine Wildbahn und Geschoß.

Mich armen Teufel, Herr Baron,
Beneiden Sie, so wie es scheint,
Weil die Natur vom Knaben schon
Mit mir es mütterlich gemeint.
Ich ward, mit leichtem Mut und Kopf,
Zwar arm, doch nicht ein armer Tropf.

Nun dächt ich, lieber Herr Baron,
Wir ließen's bleiben wie wir sind:
Sie blieben des Herrn Vaters Sohn,
Und ich blieb' meiner Mutter Kind.
Wir leben ohne Neid un Haß,
Begehren nicht des andern Titel,
Sie keinen Platz auf dem Parnaß,
Und keinen ich in dem Kapitel.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre [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 Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein (1829 - 1894), "Ich armer Teufel, Herr Baron", op. 91 no. 5, from Die Gedichte und das Requiem fur Mignon aus Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahre", no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Spottlied aus Wilhelm Meister", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 4, Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "Poor devil that I am, my Baron", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chanson satirique de Wilhelm Meister", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Io povero diavolo, mio signor barone", copyright © 2009, (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: 20
Word count: 116

Ως διαβολάκος, κύριε

Language: Greek (Ελληνικά) after the German (Deutsch)

Ως διαβολάκος, κύριε,
Ζηλεύω που ’στε ευγενής,
Το θρόνο που ζυγώνετε,
Αγρούς κι ωραίες εκτάσεις γης,
Γονιών παλάτι κι οχυρό,
Κυνήγια πλούσια κι οπλισμό.

Τον διαβολάκο, κύριε,
Ζηλεύετε, μου φαίνεται,
Σαν νιο που’ η φύση φρόντισε
Και μητρικά με προίκισε:
Και έγινα καλόκαρδος,
Φτωχός, μα όχι παλαβός.

Καλέ βαρόνε μου, λοιπόν,
Καλοί ’ν’ οι ρόλοι οι παλιοί:
Εσείς με του πατρός τον γιο,
Κι εγώ της μάνας μου παιδί,
Ποτέ με μίσος και θυμό,
Να μην γυρεύουμε’ από ζήλια,
Μια θέση’ εσείς στον Παρνασσό,
Κι εγώ ισχύος μεγαλεία.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Spottlied aus Wilhelm Meister" = "[missing]"
"Ich armer Teufel, Herr Baron" = "Ως διαβολάκος, κύριε"

Show a transliteration: DIN | ISO 843

Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Greek (Ελληνικά) copyright © 2018 by Christakis Poumbouris, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Christakis Poumbouris. Contact: chrispou (AT) spidernet (DOT) com (DOT) cy
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-03-03
Line count: 20
Word count: 88