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

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

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

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by August Kopisch (1799 - 1853)
Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Freunde sagt was wollt ihr trinken?"
Language: German (Deutsch) 
1.
"Freunde sagt was wollt ihr trinken?"
        Wein! Wein! Wein!
"Soll der Knecht nach Wasser hinken?"
        Nein! Nein! Nein!
Laß das Wasser Wasser bleiben,
Laß es gehn und Mühlen treiben,
Laß es in den Wüstenein
Trost den Karavanen sein,
Laß die Hügel es beregnen
Daß sie uns mit Trauben segnen,
Laß es seine stolzen Wellen
Bis hinauf zum Himmel schnellen,
Laß es große Schiffe schwingen,
Die den Wein von Ferne bringen,
Laß in alle Land es laufen
Und damit die Heiden taufen;
Wasser soll belobet sein,
Doch wir - trinken Wein Wein Wein!

2.
"Nun, so nennt mir eure Sorte."
        Wein! Wein! Wein! 
"Nennt die Berge, nennt die Orte."
        Nein! Nein! Nein!
Bring herbei den allerbesten,
Der gefällt den meisten Gästen;
Wenn der Trank uns wohlbehagt,
Wird der Name bald erfragt.
Nur der echte ist der rechte,
All der andre ist der schlechte.
Bring uns solchen der uns stärket,
Den das Herz im Leibe merket!-
Bring uns solchen der uns hebet
Daß die Seel' ins Freie schwebet,
Daß der Plunder dieser Erde
Recht von ihr verlachet werde.
Laß den Namen Namen sein,
Bringe her nur Wein, Wein, Wein!

3.
"Aber Gläser oder Becher?"
        Wein! Wein! Wein!
"Oder Humpen, werthe Zecher?"
        Wein! Wein! Wein!
Schenk ihn in das was ihn fasset,
Was an Menschenlippen passet.
Blanke Becher klingen schön,
Gläser geben gut Getön.
Läßt der Wein sich sonst nicht lumpen,
Schmeckt er aus den größten Humpen;
Auch bei Muscheln oder Hörnern
Liegen Trinker nicht auf Dörnern,
Was du hast gieb ohne Prahlen,
Wär es auch in Kürbisschalen ;
Fehlt das all, so schenk am Ende
Ihn in beide hohle Hände.
Kömmt er nur ins Maul hinein!
Schenke ein! Schenk ein! Schenk ein!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by August Kopisch (1799 - 1853), "Drei Fragen und drei Antworten", written 1839 [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Wasser und Wein", 2008 [ medium voice or high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Johanna Kinkel (1810 - 1858), "Wasser und Wein", op. 6 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Water and wine", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Harry Joelson

This text was added to the website: 2008-10-29
Line count: 57
Word count: 279

Water and wine
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
1.
"Friend, say what would you drink?"
Wine! Wine! Wine!
"Shall the fellow limp to water?"
No! No! No!
Let water remain water,
Let it go and push the water wheel,
Let it serve in a desert
To quench the thirst of caravans,
Let it sprinkle the hillsides
That they bless us with wine grapes,
Let it be proud waves
That rise to the heavens,
Let it carry great ships
Which bring wine from afar off,
Let it be in all places
Thereby to sprinkle the fields;
Water be praised,
But we -- we drink wine! Wine! Wine!

2.
"Well, name me any of your kind."
Wine! Wine! Wine!
"Name the mountains, name places."
No! No! No!
Bring here all of the best,
That is please my guests;
When wine makes us well pleased,
We will ask its name.
Only the real is the correct,
And all other is not.
Bring us that which fortifies us,
That helps the heart to know love!-
Bring us that which lifts us up,
That souls can soar in freedom,
That the rubbish of this world
Will rightly be ridiculed.
Let names be names,
But bring us wine! Wine! Wine!
 
3.
"But in glasses or in tumblers?"
Wine! Wine! Wine!
"Or in tankards, worthy tippler?"
Wine! Wine! Wine!
Give him of that which he grasps,
When it passes human lips.
Empty tumblers ring beautifully,
And glasses ring like bells.
Let the wine not spill out,
So tasty is in the greatest mugs;
And with mussels or in drinking horns
Drinkers lie not in a bed of thorns,
And if you wouldn't complain
It could be drunk from pumpkin rinds;
Enjoy it all, so that it be
Taken in both helping hands.
As long as it comes to the mouth!
Give it here! Give it here! Give it here!

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Water and wine", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by August Kopisch (1799 - 1853), "Drei Fragen und drei Antworten", written 1839
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-11
Line count: 57
Word count: 303

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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