Ein finstrer Esel sprach einmal
zu seinem ehlichen Gemahl:
"Ich bin so dumm, du bist so dumm,
wir wollen sterben gehen, kumm!"
Doch wie es kommt so öfter eben:
Die beiden blieben fröhlich leben.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
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), "Die beiden Esel", 2010 [ soprano and piano ], from Zehn Morgenstern-lieder, no. 9 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Willy Burkhard (1900 - 1955), "Die beiden Esel", op. 22, Heft 1 (Chorduette nach Gedichten aus "Palma Kunkel" von Christian Morgenstern) no. 2 (1928) [ men's chorus and trombone ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Farber (b. 1945), "Die beiden Esel", from Galgenlieder, no. 31 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ralf Albert Franz (b. 1969), "Die beiden Esel", from Galgenlieder, no. 12 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Hermann Franz Graener (1872 - 1944), "Die beiden Esel", op. 103 (Drei Galgenlieder nach Christian Morgenstern) no. 3, published 1936 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Derek Healey (b. 1936), "Die beiden Esel", op. 129 no. 11 (2011) [ contralto, alto saxophone, and piano ], from Morgenstern Lieder, no. 11 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilfried Hiller , "Die beiden Esel", from Morgenstern-Liederbuch [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dorothea Hofmann (b. 1961), "ein finstrer Esel", 2011, first performed 2011 [ baritone and dulcimer ], from Morgenstern-Liederbuch für Bariton und Hackbrett, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rudolf Jaggi (b. 1940), "Ein finstrer Esel", 1985 [ SA chorus ], from Lieder für das Basler Singbuch "Liederköfferli", no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Uhl (1909 - 1992), "Die beiden Esel" [ soli, chorus, and orchestra ], from Wer einsam ist, der hat es gut, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Wolfes (1892 - 1971), "Die beiden Esel", 1963 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Mister and Missus Ass", rhymed paraphrase, copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Les deux ânes", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 6
Word count: 34
A grim-faced ass spoke prayerfully
To his conjugal bride quite carefully:
"I am so dumb, you are so dumb,
We'll live our lives, then death with come."
But as the tale so oft will tell:
They were life-long happy, dumb yet well.
