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Natur gab Stieren Hörner, Sie gab den Rossen Hufe, Den Hasen schnelle Füße, Den Löwen weite Rachen, Den Fischen gab sie Flossen, Und Fittige den Vögeln; Den Männern, den Männern aber Weisheit. Männern! nicht den Weibern? Was gab sie diesen? Schönheit, Schönheit. Statt aller unsrer Spieße, Statt aller unsrer Schilde; Denn wider Weibesschönheit Besteht nicht Stahl, nicht Feuer.
Authorship
Based on- a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Anacreon (c582BCE - c485BCE), Ode 2 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "An die Frauen", Hob. XXVb no. 4 (1796) [ SATB chorus, bass, contralto ], from Aus des Ramlers Lyrischer Blumenlese , no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "To women", copyright © 2009
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Aux femmes", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-10-01
Line count: 14
Word count: 58
Nature gave steers horns; She gave horses hooves, The hares swift feet, The lions wide jaws; To the fish she gave fins, and wings to the birds; To men, to men, however, she gave wisdom. To men! ... not to women? What did she give to them? Beauty, beauty. Instead of all our spears, Instead of all our shields -- For against the beauty of women Neither steel nor fire can triumph.
Authorship
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2009 by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Gottfried August Bürger (1747 - 1794)
- a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Anacreon (c582BCE - c485BCE), Ode 2 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2009-10-01
Line count: 14
Word count: 71