by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Auf sich selbst
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Greek (Ελληνικά)
Available translation(s): CAT ENG ITA
Es sagen mir die Weiber:
Anakreon, du greisest;
komm, nimm den Spiegel, siehe,
dein Haar ist dir entfallen,
und kahl ist deine Stirne!
Mein Haar, ob ich's behalte,
mein Haar, ob's mir entfalle,
weiß ich nicht, weiß ich nicht!
Das nur weiß ich, das nur,
daß einem Greise mehr noch
gezieme froh zu scherzen,
je näher ihm die Parze.
Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Anacreon (c582BCE - c485BCE), "Εις εαυτον", appears in Odes, no. 11
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):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "A si mateix", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (John H. Campbell) , "To thyself", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "A sé stesso", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 12
Word count: 59
To thyself
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
The women tell me:
Anakreon, you greybeard;
come, take the mirror, see here,
your hair has fallen out,
and your pate is bald!
My hair, whether I keep it,
my hair, whether it falls from me,
I know not, I know not!
This only I know, this only,
that one old man is now
and is glad to be,
ever closer to the three sisters.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell, (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:
Based on:
- a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Anacreon (c582BCE - c485BCE), "Εις εαυτον", appears in Odes, no. 11
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 12
Word count: 65