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.
[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:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, written 1814, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 9. Das Schenkenbuch -- Saki Nameh [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 Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Trinklied aus dem Divan", op. posth. 75 (Sechs Lieder für vierstimmigen Männerchor) no. 3 (c1837), published 1849 [ four-part men's chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "So lang man nüchtern ist", 1889, published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 36, Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
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, 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.
Contact:
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, written 1814, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 9. Das Schenkenbuch -- Saki Nameh
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-18
Line count: 16
Word count: 78