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Wir haben ein Bett, wir haben ein Kind, mein Weib! Wir haben auch Arbeit, und gar zu zweit, und haben die Sonne und Regen und Wind, und uns fehlt nur eine Kleinigkeit, um so frei zu sein, wie die Vögel sind: nur Zeit. Wenn wir Sonntags durch die Felder gehn, mein Kind, und über den Ähren weit und breit das blaue Schwalbenvolk blitzen sehn, o dann fehlt uns nicht das bißchen Kleid, um so schön zu sein, wie die Vögel sind: nur Zeit. Nur Zeit! wir wittern Gewitterwind, wir Volk. Nur eine kleine Ewigkeit; uns fehlt ja nichts, mein Weib, mein Kind, als all das, was durch uns gedeiht, um so [froh]1 zu sein, wie die Vögel sind: nur Zeit.
1 Pfitzner or Schoeck: "kühn"
Authorship
- by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Der Arbeitsmann", appears in Weib und Welt [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 Hans Erich Pfitzner (1869 - 1949), "Der Arbeitsmann", op. 30 (4 Lieder) no. 4 (1922) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Der Arbeitsmann", op. 39 (Fünf Lieder für 1 hohe Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3 (1897-98), published 1899 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Rob. Forberg [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El treballador", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De werkman", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The workman", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le travailleur", copyright © 2010, (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: 21
Word count: 120
We have a bed, we have a child, My wife! We have also work - work for two, and have the sun and rain and wind; and we lack just one small thing to be as free as the birds are: only time. When on Sundays we go through the fields, My child, And above the corn, far and wide, the blue swallows can be seen flitting, Oh, then, we lack no bits of clothing to be as fine as the birds are: only time. Only time! We sense a stormwind, we people. Just one small eternity; We lack nothing, my wife, my child, but all that thrives in us, to be as bold as the birds are: only time.
Authorship
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Der Arbeitsmann", appears in Weib und Welt
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 120