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by Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914)
Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Ein Wiesel/ saß auf einem Kiesel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  DUT ENG FRE
Ein Wiesel
saß auf einem Kiesel
inmitten Bachgeriesel.

Wißt ihr,
weshalb?

Das Mondkalb
verriet es mir
im stillen:

Das raffinier -
te Tier
tats um des Reimes willen.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914), "Das ästhetische Wiesel" [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), "Das ästhetische Wiesel", 2001 [ bass and piano ], from Das tierische Lied von der Erde, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Richard Farber (b. 1945), "Das æsthetische Wiesel", from Galgenlieder, no. 19 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ralf Albert Franz (b. 1969), "Das ästhetische Wiesel", from Galgenlieder, no. 10 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Sofia Gubaidulina (1931 - 2025), "Das ästhetische Wiesel", first performed 1996 [ mezzo-soprano, flute, bayan, percussion, and contrabass ], from Galgenlieder à 5 1996, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Sofia Gubaidulina (1931 - 2025), "Das ästhetische Wiesel", 1996, first performed 1996 [ mezzo-soprano, percussion, and contrabass ], from Galgenlieder à 3 1996/1998, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Wilfried Hiller , "Das ästhetische Wiesel", from Morgenstern-Liederbuch [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Peter Korff , "Das ästhetische Wiesel" [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Camille van Lunen (b. 1957), "Das ästhetische Wiesel" [ duet for 2 equal voices with clarinet ], from Morgenstern Album II, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Eric Sams (1926 - 2004), "Das ästhetische Wiesel", 1947 [ voice and piano ], confirmed with a concert programme booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Ernest Vietor (flourished 1905-1930), "Das aesthetische Wiesel", op. 7 no. 11, from Galgenlieder, no. 11 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Nicolaas (Koos) Jaspers) , "De esthetische wezel", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "The aesthetic Weasel", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La belette esthète", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-07-10
Line count: 11
Word count: 27

The aesthetic Weasel
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
A weasel sat 
on a stone 
in the middle of a trickling stream.

Do you 
know why?

The dim-wit 
told me 
quietly:

That ingenious beast 
did it 
to make the poem rhyme.

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "The aesthetic Weasel", copyright © 2001, (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 Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914), "Das ästhetische Wiesel"
    • Go to the text page.

 
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-11
Line count: 11
Word count: 32

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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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