What is an original? | What is an original?

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Paul Scheerbart (1863 - 1915)

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Was ist ein Original?

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Was ist ein Original?
Ein Ei ohne Schal'. --
Zum Fressen für die Helläugigen ...
Wie lebt ein Original?
In Angst und Qual. --
Schließlich, schließlich wird's nur
Gefressen von den Helläugigen ...
Wer sieht dann das Original?
Was weiß ich?
Fürchterlich -- fürchterlich --
Ein Ei ohne Schal'.
Ich weiß -- ich weiß:
Nur eine Rettung gibt's --
Kocht hart, kocht hart
Das Ei ohne Schal'!
Laß dich vom rauhen Leben
Hart kneten, du Original!
Dann liegst du den Helläugigen
Recht schwer im Magen --
Sie können dich dann nicht vertragen.

Text Authorship:

by Paul Scheerbart (1863 - 1915), "Was ist ein Original?" [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), "Was ist ein Original?", 2009 [high voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "What is an original?", 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: 20
Word count: 83

What is an original?

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

What is an original?
An egg without a shell. --
A feast for the bright-eyed...
How does such an original live?
In fear and torment.
Finally, finally it will have been
Gobbled by the bright eyed...
Who then sees an original?
What do I know?
Dreadful, dreadful,
An egg without a shell.
I know -- I know:
The is the only saving grace --
To be hard boiled, hard boiled
That egg without a shell!
From a rough life, let go,
crudely shaped, you original!
Then let those bright-eyed
get a stomach ache from --
They don't really suit you well.

Text Authorship:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "What is an original?", 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 Paul Scheerbart (1863 - 1915), "Was ist ein Original?"
- Go to the text page.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-17
Line count: 20
Word count: 97