by
Paul Fleming (1609 - 1640)
Sei dennoch unverzagt! Gib dennoch...
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: ENG ENG
Sei dennoch unverzagt! Gib dennoch unverloren!
Weich keinem Glücke nicht, steh höher als der Neid,
Vergnüge dich an dir und acht es für kein Leid,
Hat sich gleich wider dich Glück, Ort und Zeit verschworen.
Was dich betrübt und labt, halt alles für erkoren;
Nimm dein Verhängnis an. Lass alles unbereut.
Tu, was getan muss sein, und eh man dir's gebeut.
[Was du noch hoffen kannst, das wird noch stets geboren.]1
Was klagt, was lobt man noch? Sein Unglück und sein Glücke
Ist ihm ein jeder selbst. [Schau alle Sachen an:
Dies alles ist in dir. Lass deinen eitlen Wahn,
Und eh du fürder gehst,]1 so geh in dich zurücke.
Wer sein selbst Meister ist und sich beherrschen kann,
Dem ist die weite Welt und alles untertan.
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1 omitted by Gál
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):
- by Hans Gál (1890 - 1987), "Wahlspruch", op. 32 no. 3 (1928), published 1929 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], from Fünf ernste Gesänge, no. 3, Tischer & Jagenberg, Köln [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Křenek (1900 - 1991), "An sich", op. 53 no. 4 (1927) [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Gesänge nach alten Gedichten, no. 4, Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Elisabeth Siekhaus) , "To himself", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Elisabeth Siekhaus) (Daria Siekhaus) , "To himself", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-08-01
Line count: 14
Word count: 129
To himself
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Nevertheless be undaunted! Nevertheless do not give up!
Don't give way to any misfortune, don't bend under hard luck,
Take pleasure in yourself and do not think it hard,
If chance, place and time seem in league against you.
What makes you sad or nourished, take it all for destined,
Accept your fate. Have no regrets.
Do what needs doing, and before you are told.
As long as you can still hope, all is still possible to become reality.
To what end does one complain, or cheer?
Each is to himself his own bad or good luck. Look at all things:
Everything is in you. Let go of your useless ideas
And, before you proceed further, go back into yourself.
For to him who can master And control himself,
The whole world will bend his way.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by Elisabeth Siekhaus, (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) by Paul Fleming (1609 - 1640), "Sei dennoch unverzagt!"
This text was added to the website: 2007-10-15
Line count: 14
Word count: 136
