Alabanza a la mente superior | Una vez en el valle profundo

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

Translation © by Elena María Accinelli

Lob des hohen Verstands

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE ITA SPA

Einstmals in einem tiefen Tal
Kukuk und Nachtigall
Täten ein Wett' anschlagen:
Zu singen um das Meisterstück,
Gewinn' es Kunst, gewinn' es Glück:
Dank soll er davon tragen.

Der Kukuk sprach: "So dir's gefällt,
Hab' ich den Richter wählt",
Und tät gleich den Esel ernennen.
"Denn weil er hat zwei Ohren groß,
So kann er hören desto bos
Und, was recht ist, kennen!"

Sie flogen vor den Richter bald.
Wie dem die Sache ward erzählt,
Schuf er, sie sollten singen.
Die Nachtigall sang lieblich aus!
Der Esel sprach: "Du machst mir's kraus!
Du machst mir's kraus! I-ja! I-ja!
Ich kann's in Kopf nicht bringen!"

Der Kukuk drauf fing an geschwind
Sein Sang durch Terz und Quart und Quint.
Dem Esel g'fiels, er sprach nur
"Wart! Wart! Wart! Dein Urteil will ich sprechen,
Wohl sungen hast du, Nachtigall!
Aber Kukuk, singst gut Choral!

Und hältst den Takt fein innen!
Das sprech' ich nach mein' hoh'n Verstand!
Und kost' es gleich ein ganzes Land,
So laß ich's dich gewinnen!"

Text Authorship:

from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn [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 Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911), "Lob des hohen Verstands", 1896, published 1899 [ voice and orchestra or piano ], from Lieder aus "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" (formerly "Humoresken"), no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]

Set in a modified version by Carl Loewe.

Go to the text. [ view differences ] ENG

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Elogi del coneixement superior", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "In praise of higher understanding", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Éloge de la haute sagesse", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Lode all'alta competenza", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Elena María Accinelli) , "Alabanza a la mente superior", copyright © 2005, (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: 29
Word count: 167

Alabanza a la mente superior

Language: Spanish (Español) after the German (Deutsch)

Una vez en el valle profundo,
El cuco y el ruiseñor
Hicieron una apuesta:
Cantar la Obra Maestra.
Ganar por arte o por suerte,
El vencedor obtendría fama.

El cuco dijo: Si te parece,
nombraré al juez.
Y de inmediato nombró al burro.
Como tiene dos enormes orejas,
Puede oír mucho mejor
y sabrá lo que es correcto.

Pronto volaron ante el juez
y cuando la cuestión le explicaron,
les dijo que cantaran.
¡El ruiseñor cantó dulcemente!
El burro dijo: ¡Me mareas!
¡Iii-aah, iii-aah!
¡No me entra en la cabeza!

Entonces el cuco comenzó de inmediato
su canción pasando por terceras y cuartas y quintas;
Al burro le agradó y sólo dijo: ¡Espera!
Ahora daré mi fallo.
¡Has cantado bien, Ruiseñor!
Pero, Cuco, tú cantas una buena segunda voz!

¡Y mantienes un buen ritmo interno!
Por lo tanto, y de acuerdo con mi mente sublime,
Y aunque ello me cueste mis tierras!
¡Te declaro el ganador!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to Spanish (Español) copyright © 2005 by Elena María Accinelli, (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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2005-08-26
Line count: 29
Word count: 156