Eine Wassermaus und Kröte
Stiegen eines Abends spöte1
Einen steilen Berg hinan.

Sprach die Wassermaus zur Kröte:
"Warum gehst du Abends spöte
Diesen steilen Berg hinan?"

Sprach zur Wassermaus die Kröte:
"Zum Genuß der Abendröthe
Geh' ich heute Abend spöte

Diesen steilen Berg hinan."
Dies ist ein Gedicht von Göthe,
Das er eines Abends spöte -
Auf dem Sopha noch ersann.

Note (provided by Gary Bachlund): "Spöte" is a regional dialect's version of "spät" -- late -- used to rhyme with toad, "Kröte," and Goethe.

Text Authorship:

• by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, from Allgemeines Deutsche Commersbuch [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), "Wassermaus und Kröte", 2001 [bass and piano], from Das tierische Lied von der Erde, no. 6 [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

• ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Water mouse and toad", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-05-14
Line count: 13
Word count: 60

A water mouse and toad
went late one evening
up a steep mountain.
 
The water mouse said to the toad:
Why are you going late this evening
up this steep hill?"
 
Said the toad to the water mouse:
"To enjoy the evening sunset
I am going this late evening
up this steep hill."
 
This is a story by Goethe,
that he devised late one evening,
while on his sofa.