To criticize yourself is smart | To criticize yourself is smart

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by Wilhelm Busch (1832 - 1908)

Translation © by Walter A. Aue

Die Selbstkritik hat viel für sich

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Die Selbstkritik hat viel für sich.
Gesetzt den Fall, ich tadle mich;
So hab' ich erstens den Gewinn,
Daß ich so hübsch bescheiden bin;
Zum zweiten denken sich die Leut,
Der Mann ist lauter Redlichkeit;
Auch schnapp' ich drittens diesen Bissen
Vorweg den andern Kritiküssen;
Und viertens hoff' ich außerdem
Auf Widerspruch, der mir genehm.
So kommt es denn zuletzt heraus,
Daß ich ein ganz famoses Haus.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Busch (1832 - 1908), no title, appears in Kritik des Herzens [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):

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Die Selbstkritik hat viel für sich", 2012 [ bass or baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Helmut Fritsche (1907 - 1964), "Die Selbstkritik", op. 76 (Lieder nach Texten von Wilhelm Busch aus "Kritik des Herzens") no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Alice Samter (1908 - 2004), "Die Selbstkritik", 1967 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Walter A. Aue) , "To criticize yourself is smart", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-02-21
Line count: 12
Word count: 67

To criticize yourself is smart

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

To criticize yourself is smart.
Say, I would scold myself to start:
this brings me, first, the real gain
that I'm a very modest man;
for, second, who would not agree
that I am full of honesty;
besides, and third, I snatch the prey
away from what the critics say;
and, fourth, I hope the crowd presents
some forceful counterarguments.
So, in the end, my little rap
makes me the most admired chap!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 by Walter A. Aue, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Walter A. Aue. Contact: waue (AT) dal (DOT) ca
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Wilhelm Busch (1832 - 1908), no title, appears in Kritik des Herzens
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2010-03-23
Line count: 12
Word count: 73