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Zu meiner Zeit, zu meiner Zeit Bestand noch Recht und Billigkeit. Da wurden auch aus Kindern Leute, Aus tugendhaften Mädchen Bräute; Doch alles mit Bescheidenheit. O gute Zeit, o gute Zeit! Es ward kein Jüngling zum Verräter, Und unsre Jungfern freiten später, Sie reizten nicht der Mütter Neid. O gute, Zeit, o gute Zeit! Zu meiner Zeit, zu meiner Zeit Befliß man sich der Heimlichkeit. Genoß der Jüngling ein Vergnügen, So war er dankbar und verschwiegen; Doch jetzt entdeckt er's ungescheut. O schlimme Zeit, o schlimme Zeit! Die Regung mütterlicher Triebe, Der Vorwitz und der Geist der Liebe Fährt jetzt oft schon in's Flügelkleid. O schlimme Zeit, o schlimme Zeit! Zu meiner Zeit, zu meiner Zeit ward Pflicht und Ordnung nicht entweiht. Der Mann ward, wie es sich gebühret, Von einer lieben Frau regieret, Trotz seiner stolzen Männlichkeit. O gute Zeit, o gute Zeit! Die Fromme herrschte nur gelinder, Uns blieb der Hut und ihm die Kinder; Das war die Mode weit und breit. O gute Zeit, o gute Zeit! Zu meiner Zeit, zu meiner Zeit war noch in Ehen Einigkeit. Jetzt darf der Mann uns fast gebieten, Uns widersprechen und uns hüten, Wo man mit Freunden sich erfreut. O schlimme Zeit, o schlimme Zeit! Mit dieser Neuerung im Lande, Mit diesem Fluch im Ehestande Hat ein Komet uns längst bedräut. O schlimme Zeit, o schlimme Zeit!
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Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Hagedorn (1708 - 1754) [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 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791), "Die Alte", K. 517 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Josef Antonín Štěpán (1726 - 1797), "Die Alte", published 1778-9 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Karl Josef Zilcher (1881 - 1948), "Fuga burlesca: Die Alte", op. 65 no. 5 [ soprano, violin, cello, and piano ], from Rokoko-Suite, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De oude vrouw", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "The old woman", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "La vecchia", copyright © 2010, (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 text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 227
In my time, in my time there were still right and justice. At that time children grew up quickly, too, and virtuous girls became brides; but everything in modesty. O good old days, o good old days! No young man became a traitor, and our virgins married later, they didn't excite their mothers' envy. O good old days, o good old days! In my time, in my time people used to be discreet. When the young man was out pleasuring, he was grateful and kept the secret; but now he reveals it unabashedly. O bad times, o bad times! Maternal instincts, cheekiness and the desire for love get into people before they're able to fly. O bad times, o bad times! In my time, in my time duties and order were not profaned. The husband was, as is proper, governed by a beloved wife, despite of his proud manliness. O good old days, o good old days! The pious wife just ruled more mildly, we had our hats and he had the children; this used to be a widespread custom. O good old days, o good old days! In my time, in my time there was agreement in the bond of matrimony. Now the husband is almost allowed to have command over us, contradict us and be our custodian when we have pleasure with friends. O bad times, o bad times! With this novelty in our country, with this curse upon the married life a comet has threatened us for a long time. O bad times, o bad times!
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 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
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Hagedorn (1708 - 1754)
This text was added to the website: 2007-01-29
Line count: 40
Word count: 259