Half-done Job | Serfdom was only a part of it

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by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888)

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Halbe Arbeit

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Leibeigenschaft war nur der Rumpf,
Nur halb erlegte man den Drachen,
Der noch aus dem feudalen Sumpf
Zu uns herüberreckt den Rachen;
Behalten blieb es bessern Tagen,
Das freche Haupt herabzusclagen.

Text Authorship:

by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888), "Halbe Arbeit" [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), "Halbe Arbeit", 2009 [high voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Half-done Job", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-17
Line count: 6
Word count: 31

Half‑done Job

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Serfdom was only a part of it,
As only half the dragon was slain,
More have been able from the feudal morass
To reach out to us through their cries;
Continue to know that better days that will come
In which the impertinent dragon's head will be slapped down.

Text Authorship:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Half-done Job", copyright © 2009, (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 Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888), "Halbe Arbeit"
- Go to the text page.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-17
Line count: 6
Word count: 49