I have only written | I cannot divide life

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Hab ich nur geschrieben

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Teilen kann ich nicht das Leben,
Nicht das Innen, noch das Außen,
Allen muß das Ganze geben,
Um mit euch und mir zu hausen.
Immer hab ich nur geschrieben,
Wie ichs fühle, wie ichs meine,
Und so spalt ich mich, ihr Lieben,
Und bin immerfort der Eine.

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Hab ich nur geschrieben", 1989 [medium voice or high voice and piano], from Goethe-lieder, no. 7 [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "I have only written", copyright © 1989, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-05-13
Line count: 8
Word count: 47

I have only written

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I cannot divide life 
into an inside and an outside. 
In order to live with you and myself, 
I must give all of you the whole of me.
Always, I have just written 
as I felt, as I thought. 
In this way, dear friends, I split myself 
and at all times remain one.

Text Authorship:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "I have only written", copyright © 1989, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
- Go to the text page.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-11
Line count: 8
Word count: 53