In mourning | I have become a master

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by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Ein Meister bin ich worden

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Ein Meister bin ich worden
zu weben Gram und Leid;
ich webe Tag und Nächte
am schweren Trauerkleid.

Ich schlepp' es auf der Straße
mühselig und bestaubt;
ich trag von spitzen Dornen
ein Kränzlein auf dem Haupt.

Die Sonne steht am Himmel,
Sie sieht es und sie lacht:
Was geht da für ein Zwerglein
in einer Königstracht?

Ich lege Kron' und Mantel
beschämt am Wege hin
und muß nun ohne Trauer
und ohne Freuden ziehn!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890), no title, appears in Gesammelte Gedichte, in Vermischte Gedichte, in Aus einem Romane, in 2. In der Trauer, no. 3 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "In der Trauer", op. 55 no. 19 (1941-3) [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano ], from Unter Sternen: Lieder und Gesänge nach Gedichten von Gottfried Keller, no. 19, Wien: Universal Edition [sung text checked 1 time]
by Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941), "In der Trauer", op. 11 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 3, published 1888 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "In mourning", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Je suis devenu un maître", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Caroline Diehl

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 75

In mourning

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I have become a master
at weaving grief and sorrow;
Day and night I weave
a heavy mourning gown.

I wear it in the streets 
toilsome and dusty.
I wear a wreath on my head,
a wreath of  sharp thorns.
 
The sun is in the sky,
he sees it and laughs:
what a small dwarf goes there
in a king's garb.

I put down crown and gown -
ashamed - by the wayside;
and now I must make my way
without grief and without joy!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2005 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890), no title, appears in Gesammelte Gedichte, in Vermischte Gedichte, in Aus einem Romane, in 2. In der Trauer, no. 3
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2005-03-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 83