by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Gern und gerner
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE LIT
Der Gang war schwer, der Tag war rauh, 
Kalt weht' es und stürmisch aus Norden;
Es trieft mein Haar vom Abendtau,
Fast wär' ich müde geworden. 

Laß blinken den roten, den süßen Wein:
Es mag der alte Zecher 
Sich gerne sonnen im roten Schein,
Sich gerne wärmen am Becher; 

Und gerner sich sonnen in trüber Stund'
Am Klarblick deiner Augen,
Und gerner vom roten, vom süßen Mund
[Durchwärmende]1 Flammen saugen.

Reichst mir den Mund, mir den Pokal,
Mir Jugendlust des Lebens; 
Laß tosen und toben die Stürme zumal,
Sie mühen um mich sich vergebens.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Nietzsche 

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Nietzsche: "erwärmende"

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 (Sharon Krebs) , "Gladly and more gladly still", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Aimer et préférer", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Mielai ir dar mieliau", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 95

Gladly and more gladly still
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The path was difficult, the weather was raw,
It blew coldly and stormily from the north;
My hair was dripping with the evening dew,
Almost I would have become tired.

Let the red, the sweet wine sparkle;
The old reveller delights
So gladly in sunning himself in the red gleam,
So gladly in warming himself from the beaker.

And more gladly still in a dreary hour in sunning himself
In the clear gaze of your eyes
And more gladly still in drawing from the red, the sweet mouth
Warming flames.

You give me your lips, you hand me the chalice,
[Give] me the youthful joy of life;
Let the storms rage and bluster all the more,
In vain they strive to disconcert me.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 by Sharon Krebs, (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.
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This text was added to the website: 2011-01-07
Line count: 16
Word count: 123