Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
So wälz ich ohne Unterlaß, Wie Sankt Diogenes, mein Faß. Bald ist es Ernst, bald ist es Spaß; Bald ist es Lieb, bald ist es Haß; Bald ist es dies, bald ist es das; Es ist ein Nichts, und ist ein Was. So wälz ich ohne Unterlaß, Wie Sankt Diogenes, mein Faß.
Authorship
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Genialisch treiben", appears in Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe, letzter Hand, Band III, in 5. Epigrammatisch [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), "Genialisch treiben" [medium voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Genialisch treiben", published 1891 [voice and piano], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 21, Mainz, Schott [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Task of genius", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Occupation de génie", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Geniale darsi da fare", 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: 8
Word count: 52
So do I roll, without pause, like Saint Diogenes, my barrel. Now in earnest, now in jest; now in love, now in hate; now it is this, now it is that - it is a Nothing, and it is a Something. So do I roll, without pause, like Saint Diogenes, my barrel.
Authorship
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Genialisch treiben", appears in Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe, letzter Hand, Band III, in 5. Epigrammatisch
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 53