by Emanuel Schikaneder (1751 - 1812)
Translation © by Martha Elliott

Seit ich so viele Weiber sah
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG FRE LIT
Seit ich so viele Weiber sah,
Schlägt mir mein Herz so warm,
Es summt und brummt mir hier und da, 
Als wie ein Bienenschwarm.
Und ist ihr Feuer meinem gleich,
Ihr Auge schön und klar, 
So schlaget wie der Hammerstreich 
Mein Herzchen immerdar.
Bum, bum, bum.

Ich wünschte tausend Weiber mir,
wenn's recht den Göttern wär;
da tanzt ich wie ein Murmeltier
in's Kreuz und in die Quer.
Das wär ein Leben auf der Welt,
da wollt' ich lustig seyn,
ich hüpfte wie ein Haas durch's Feld,
und's Herz schlüg immerdrein.
Bum, bum, bum.

Wer Weiber nicht zu schätzen weiss;
ist weder kalt noch warm,
und liegt als wie ein Brocken Eis 
in eines Mädchens Arm.
Da bin ich schon ein andrer Mann,
ich spring' um sie herum;
mein Herz klopf froh an ihrem an
und machet : bum, bum bum.

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Text Authorship:

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

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

  • ENG English (Martha Elliott) , "Slow waltz", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , "Slow waltzes", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Valse lente", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Pilar Lirio

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 26
Word count: 140

Slow waltz
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Since I have seen sweet womankind,
My heart beats to my knees,
It hums and buzzes to and fro
Just like a swarm of bees.

And if, like mine, hers flames full heat,
Her eyes aglow, yet clear,
So striking like a hammer's beat,
My pounding heart I hear,
Boom, boom, boom etc.

I'd wish a thousand women for me,
And hope the gods were pleased,
I'd dance around far off the ground
Up, down, in all degrees.

What life I'd live, what mirth, what song,
Then I'd have joy and fun,
I'd hop, and like a hare I'd run,
My heart would skip along,
Boom. boom, boom, etc.

The man who knows not woman's price
Is neither cold nor warm.
And lies around, a block of ice,
On some young maiden's arm.

But I am quite a different sort,
I'd jump around the room,
My heart pressed close to hers in sport,
Would pound out boom, boom, boom etc.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2003 by Martha Elliott, (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:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 26
Word count: 160