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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Salvador Pila

Ach, was soll der Mensch verlangen?
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE ITA
Ach, was soll der Mensch verlangen?
Ist es besser, ruhig bleiben?
Klammernd fest sich anzuhangen?
Ist es besser, sich zu treiben?

Soll er sich ein Häuschen bauen?
Soll er unter Zelten leben?
Soll er auf die Felsen trauen?
Selbst die festen Felsen beben.

Eines schickt sich nicht für alle;
Sehe jeder, wie er's treibe,
Sehe jeder, wo er bleibe,
Und wer steht, daß er nicht falle!

J. Kelz sets stanza 3
H. Schletterer sets stanza 3

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Beherzigung" [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 Peter Escher (1915 - 2008), "Beherzigung", op. 153 no. 2 (1993?) [ voice and piano ], from Lieder nach Gedichten verschiedenen Schriftsteller, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Johann Friedrich Kelz (1786 - 1862), "Kanon", published c1818, stanza 3 [ vocal trio for soprano, tenor, and bass ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Hans Michael Schletterer (1824 - 1893), "Spruch", op. 30 (Praktischer Unterricht im Chorgesange für Volksschulen, höhere Lehranstalten und Gesangvereine) no. 23, published 1867, stanza 3, in Praktischer Unterricht im Chorgesange, in Schul-Lieder-Anhang, Nordsingen: C. H. Beck'schen Buchhandlung [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Hans August Friedrich Zincke genannt Sommer (1837 - 1922), "Beherzigung I", 1920 [ voice and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Beherzigung", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 18, Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Winfried (Petrus Ignatius) Zillig (1905 - 1963), "Beherzigung", 1941, orchestrated 1960 [ female voice and piano or orchestra ], from Zehn Lieder nach Gedichten von Goethe, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Reflection", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Résolution", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Riflessione", copyright © 2012, (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: 12
Word count: 66

Ai, què pot desitjar l’home?
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Ai, què pot desitjar l’home?
És millor restar tranquil?
Fermament aferrat per acordar-se?
És millor bellugar-se?

S’ha de construir una casa?
Ha de viure sota una tenda?
Ha de confiar en les roques?
Fins i tot les roques més sòlides tremolen.

La mateixa cosa no és bona per a tothom;
cadascú ha de veure com actua,
cadascú ha de veure on roman,
i el que resta dret, ha de mirar de no caure.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Beherzigung" = "Ponderació"
"Kanon" = "Cànon"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2021 by Salvador Pila, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Beherzigung"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2021-05-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 73

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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