by Frank Wedekind (1864 - 1918)
Translation © by Walter A. Aue

Altes Lied
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG
Chosen for Diff
Es war einmal ein Bäcker,
Der prunkte mit seinem Wanst,
Wie du ihn kühner und kecker
Dir schwerlich träumen kannst.
Er hat zum Weib genommen
Ein würdiges Gegenstück;
Sie konnten zusammen nicht kommen,
Sie waren viel zu dick.

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):

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

  • ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Old song", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (Walter A. Aue) , "Old song", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-15
Line count: 8
Word count: 38

Old song
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
There once did live a baker,
who proudly showed his bulk:
a real record-breaker,
a model of a hulk.
But when he tried to tether
a likewise girl he met,
they could not get together:
they both were far too fat.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable 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:

 

This text was added to the website: 2010-03-26
Line count: 8
Word count: 41