by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Solang man nüchtern ist
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
[Solang]1 man nüchtern ist, 
Gefällt das Schlechte;
Wie man getrunken hat, 
Weiß man das Rechte;
Nur ist das Übermaß 
Auch gleich zuhanden:
Hafis, o lehre mich, 
Wie du's verstanden!

Denn meine Meinung ist 
Nicht übertrieben:
Wenn man nicht trinken kann, 
Soll man nicht lieben;
Doch sollt ihr Trinker euch
Nicht besser dünken:
Wenn man nicht lieben kann, 
Soll man nicht trinken.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Wolf : "So lang"

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):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "For as long as you are sober", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Finché si è sobri", copyright © 2013, (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: 16
Word count: 61

Tant que l'on est sobre
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Tant que l'on est sobre,
Ce qui est mauvais plaît ;
Quand on a bu,
On sait ce qui est bien ;
Seulement l'excès
Est à portée de main :
Hafez, oh, apprends-moi,
Comment tu l'as compris !

Car mon avis
N'est pas exagéré :
Si on ne sait pas boire,
On ne doit pas aimer ;
Mais vous, les buveurs,
Ne vous pensez pas meilleurs :
Si on ne sait pas aimer,
On ne doit pas boire.

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Guy Laffaille, (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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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-18
Line count: 16
Word count: 78