The modest little wish | Once upon a time, first at the very beginning

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by Carl Spitteler (1845 - 1924)

Translation © by Garrett Medlock

Das bescheidene Wünschlein

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Damals, ganz zuerst am Anfang,
wenn ich hätte sagen sollen,
was, im Fall ich wünschen dürfte,
ich mir würde wünschen wollen,
wär ich vor zu großem Reichtum
in Verlegenheit geraten,
schwankend zwischen Bilderbüchern,
Farbenschachtel, Bleisoldaten.

Später wurde mein Gelüste
kühner, deutlicher und kürzer:
Einen stolzen Namen wollt ich,
sei's als Held und Weltumstürzer,
sei's als ruhmbekränzter Feldherr
in dem Paradies der Künste,
wo die Wunderbäume blühen
und der schönen Frauen Günste.

Heute, wenn die müde Hoffnung
wieder sich zum Wunsch bequemte,
wünscht ich nur ein kindisch Wünschlein,
dessen der Verstand sich schämte:
möchte wissen, wie die Glocke,
die mich in den Schlaf gewöhnte,
damals, ganz zuerst am Anfang,
möchte wissen, wie sie tönte.

Text Authorship:

by Carl Spitteler (1845 - 1924) [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 Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Das bescheidene Wünschlein", op. 24a no. 7 (1910) [ voice and piano ], from Lieder nach Gedichten von Lenau, Hebbel, Dehmel und Spitteler, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "The modest little wish", copyright © 2020, (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: 24
Word count: 113

The modest little wish

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Once upon a time, first at the very beginning,
If I should have said -
in case I was allowed to wish -
what I would have desired to wish,
I became embarrassed 
[On account of my] great wealth;
I was wavering between picture books,
Coloring cases, tin soldiers.

Later my craving became
bolder, clear, and briefer:
One proud name did I desire,
be it as hero and world-toppler,
be it as fame-crowned general
in the paradise of arts,
where the palms of Christ
and the favor of the beautiful women bloom.

Today, when [my] tired hope
again deigns [to wish],
I wished only a childish little wish,
of whose intelligence I was ashamed:
I would like to know how the bell
to which in sleep I have grown accustomed
back then, first at the very beginning -
I want to know how it sounded.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 by Garrett Medlock, (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 Carl Spitteler (1845 - 1924)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2020-04-17
Line count: 24
Word count: 142