The strange expression of the slight women | The strange expression of the slight women

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by Stefan George (1868 - 1933)

Translation © by Garrett Medlock

Der Wein des Einsamen

Language: German (Deutsch) after the French (Français)

Our translations: CAT ENG ITA

Der sonderbare blick der leichten frauen
Der auf uns gleitet wie das weisse licht
Des mondes auf bewegter wasserschicht
Will er im bade seine schönheit schauen

Der letzte thaler auf dem spielertisch
Ein frecher kuss der hagern Adeline
Erschlaffenden gesang der violine
Der wie der menschheit fernes qualgezisch --

Mehr als dies alles schätz ich - tiefe flasche -
Den starken balsam den ich aus dir nasche
Und der des frommen dichters müdheit bannt.

Du gibst ihm hoffnung liebe jugendkraft
Und stolz - dies erbteil aller bettlerschaft
Der uns zu helden macht und gottverwandt.

Text Authorship:

by Stefan George (1868 - 1933) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Charles Baudelaire (1821 - 1867), "Le vin du solitaire", appears in Les Fleurs du mal, in 3. Le vin, no. 107, Paris, Poulet-Malassis et de Broise, first published 1857
- Go to the text page.

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

by Alban Maria Johannes Berg (1885 - 1935), "Der Wein des Einsamen", 1929 [ voice and piano ], from Der Wein, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Manuel Capdevila i Font) , "El vi dels solitaris", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "The strange expression of the slight women", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il vino del solitario", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Virginia Knight

This text was added to the website: 2004-01-21
Line count: 14
Word count: 90

The strange expression of the slight women

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The strange expression of the slight women
Which glides upon us like the white light
Of the moon on the choppy water’s surface - 
It will in the pool its beauty see -,

The last valleys on the player’s table,
A naughty kiss from the haggard Adeline,
Dying song of the violin
Like the distant, tortured hiss of humankind:

More than this all I esteem you, deep bottle,
The strong balm which I taste from you
And which the pious poet’s fatigue banishes.

You give him hope, love, youthful spirit,
And pride - this share of all beggarship -
Which makes us into heroes and God-kin.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 by Garrett Medlock, (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 Stefan George (1868 - 1933)
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Charles Baudelaire (1821 - 1867), "Le vin du solitaire", appears in Les Fleurs du mal, in 3. Le vin, no. 107, Paris, Poulet-Malassis et de Broise, first published 1857
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2019-01-08
Line count: 14
Word count: 103