In Court | The child inside me, whose it is

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Timothy Adès

Vor Gericht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Von wem ich es habe, das sag' ich euch nicht,
Das Kind in meinem Leib. -
Pfui! speit ihr aus: die Hure da! -
Bin doch ein ehrlich Weib.

Mit wem ich mich traute, das sag' ich euch nicht.
Mein Schatz ist lieb und gut,
Trägt er eine goldene Kett' am Hals,
Trägt er einen strohernen Hut.

Soll Spott und Hohn getragen sein,
Trag' ich allein den Hohn.
Ich kenn' ihn wohl, er kennt mich wohl,
Und Gott weiß auch davon.

Herr Pfarrer und Herr Amtmann ihr,
Ich bitte, laßt mich in Ruh!
Es ist mein Kind, es bleibt mein Kind,
Ihr gebt mir ja nichts dazu.

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), first published 1776 [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 Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (1880 - 1951), "Vor Gericht", op. 15 no. 6, from 12 Goethe-Lieder, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Pauline Viardot-García (1821 - 1910), "Vor Gericht", VWV 1076 [ voice and piano ], also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (1818 - 1883) ; composed by Pauline Viardot-García.

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

ENG English (Timothy Adès) , "In Court", copyright © 2021, (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: 16
Word count: 105

In Court

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The child inside me, whose it is
I won’t be telling you.
You spit on me and call me whore,
I’m an honest woman and true.
 
I won’t be telling you who he is,
My truelove, kind and good,
Be there a gold chain on his neck
Or a straw hat on his head.
 
If there is mockery and scorn,
I’ll bear the scorn alone.
I know him well, he knows me well:
To God it’s all well-known.
 
So, reverend Sir, your Honour too,
Leave me in peace, I pray:
You serve me not. This child is mine,
Is mine, and mine shall stay.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 by Timothy Adès, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), first published 1776
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2021-07-31
Line count: 16
Word count: 104