We two | We often sat at wine

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by Gustav Falke (1853 - 1916)

Translation © by George Chaldezos

Wir Zwei

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Wir haben oft beim Wein gesessen
Und öfter beim Grog.
Beim Pfandverleiher lag indessen
Der Sonntagsrock.

Wir haben die lustigsten Mädelgeschichten
Ausgetauscht,
An Abenteuer und an Gedichten
Uns weidlich berauscht.

Wir haben, o je, von unsern Schulden
Uns vorgeklagt,
Vertranken dabei den letzten Gulden:
Nur nicht verzagt!

Wir haben uns immer zusammengefunden,
Wars Wetter schlecht;
Und waren die greulichen Wolken verschwunden,
Dann erst recht.

Wir sind zwei Kirschen an einem Stengel,
Ein Zwiegesang,
Ein Kanon, wie er von Bach bis Klengel
Noch keinem gelang.

Wir sind zwei Schelme. Wenn sie uns fangen,
Philistergericht,
Wir müssen an einem Galgen hangen,
Sonst tun wirs nicht.

Confirmed with Gesammelte Dichtungen von Gustav Falke, Berlin und Hamburg, Alfred Janssen, 1912, Volume 3, page 121.

Text Authorship:

by Gustav Falke (1853 - 1916), "Wir zwei" [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 Wilhelm Maase (c1851 - 1932), "Wir zwei", op. 23 (Drei Lieder für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1900 [ medium voice with piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
by Max Reger (1873 - 1916), "Wir Zwei", op. 62 (Sechzehn Gesänge) no. 5 (1901) [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Nosaltres dos", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (George Chaldezos) , "We two", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: George Chaldezos

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 103

We two

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

We often sat at wine
And yet more often at grog.
Meanwhile, at the pawnbroker's was
Our Sunday coat. 

We have swapped the funniest
Girl stories,
We heartily drank
On adventure and poems. 

We, alas, complained
About our debts
And still drunk off the last guilder:
Just do not despair! 

We have always got on well together,
Even if weather was bad;
And when the horrible clouds were gone,
Then, even more so. 

We are two cherries on one stalk,
A song for two,
A canon where
No other succeeded from Bach down to Klengel. 

We are two rogues. If they catch us,
The philistines' court,
We'll have to hang on one and the same gallows,
Otherwise, we won't do it.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 by George Chaldezos, (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 Gustav Falke (1853 - 1916), "Wir zwei"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2010-12-26
Line count: 24
Word count: 121