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Man frage Phillis einst, warum sie sich nicht wäscht warum ihr Kleid gebrannt, und sie es nicht gelescht; warum sie, ohne Strumpf, in vollem Putze stehet; warum sie, ohne Geld, so oft zu Markte gehet; warum der Schlüssel stets auf allen Schränken steckt; warum die Magd noch nicht um neun uhr aufgeweckt; warum ihr Fleisch und Speck drei Jahr zu räuschern hänget; warum sie Gelder zahlt, und keine Wahre empfänget; warum sie kochen will, und legt kein Feuer an, warum sie schon so alt, und hat noch keinen Mann; warum sie Tische deckt, und hat noch nichts zu essen; die antwort heißt gewiß: Ich hab' es nur vergessen.
Authorship:
- by Michael Richey (1678 - 1761) [author's text not yet checked 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 Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 - 1767), "Die vergesserne Phillis" [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Poppy Holden) , title 1: "Forgetful Phillis", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Poppy Holden
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 108
Phillis was asked once, why she didn't wash herself. Why her dress burned, and she didn't stop it; why she stands in full dress without stockings; why she so often goes to market without money; why she always puts the key in all the cupboards; why the servant is not waked up yet at nine o'clock; why her meat and bacon hang three years to smoke; why she pays funds, with no proper receipt; why she wants to cook, and creates no fire, why she is already so old, and still no man; why she sets the table and has still nothing to eat; the response is certainly: I just forgot.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Poppy Holden, (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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Michael Richey (1678 - 1761)
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 112