A great genius | There was a briquette, a great genius

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by Hans Bötticher (1883 - 1934), as Joachim Ringelnatz

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Es war ein Brikett, ein großes Genie

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Es war ein Brikett, ein großes Genie,
Das Philosophie studierte
Und später selbst an der Akademie
Im gleichen Fache dozierte.

Es sprach zur versammelten Briketterie:
"Verehrliches Auditorium,
Das Leben -- das Leben --beachten Sie --
Ist nichts als ein Provisorium."

Da wurde als ketzerisch gleich verbannt
Der Satz mit dem Provisorium.
Das arme Brikett, das wurde verbrannt
In einem Privatkrematorium.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Hans Bötticher (1883 - 1934), as Joachim Ringelnatz, no title, appears in Die Schnupftabacksdose - Stumpfsinn in Versen, first published 1912 [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):

[ None yet in the database ]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Ein große Genie", 2006 [ medium voice or high voice and piano ], from Strumpfsinn Lieder, no. 3

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

ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "A great genius", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-05-12
Line count: 12
Word count: 58

A great genius

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

There was a briquette, a great genius,
Who studied philosophy
And later himself at the college
Lectured in the same discipline.

He spoke to the assembled Briquettes:
"Honored Auditorium,
Life -- our life -- please observe --
Is not really a temporary thing.

Then as heretical were banned
That sentence and the "temporary thing."
The poor briquette, he was eventually burned
In a private crematorium.

Text Authorship:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "A great genius", copyright © 2006, (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 Hans Bötticher (1883 - 1934), as Joachim Ringelnatz, no title, appears in Die Schnupftabacksdose - Stumpfsinn in Versen, first published 1912
- Go to the text page.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 62