Plainte sur Ali Bey (Claudius, set by (Franz Peter Schubert)) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)

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.

by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Laßt mich! laßt mich! ich will klagen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE

Laßt mich! laßt mich! ich will klagen,
Frölich seyn nicht mehr!
Aboudahab hat geschlagen
Aly und sein Heer.

So ein muntrer kühner Krieger
Wird nicht wieder seyn;
Ueber alles ward er Sieger,
Haut' es kurz und klein.

Er verschmähte Wein und Weiber,
Gieng nur Kriegesbahn,
Und war für die Zeitungsschreiber
Gar ein lieber Mann.

Aber, nun ist er gefallen.
Daß er's doch nicht wär'!
Ach, von allen Bey's, von allen
War kein Bey wie er.

Jedermann in Sirus saget:
»Schade, daß er fiel!«
Und in ganz Egypten klaget
Mensch und Crocodil.

Daher sieht im Geist, wie's scheinet,
Am Serail mit Graus
Seines Freundes Kopf, und weinet
Sich die Augen aus.
                    Da Capo.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with ASMUS omnia sua SECUM portans, oder Sämmtliche Werke des Wandsbecker Bothen, I. und II. Theil. Beym Verfasser, und in Commißion bey Fr. Perthes in Hamburg. [1774], pages 48-49.

First published in Der Deutsche, sonst Wandsbecker Bothe. Ao. 1773. No. 112. Mittwochs, den 14ten Julii.

Authorship

by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Klage um Aly Bey", written 1773, first published 1773 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Klage um Ali Bey", D 140 (1815), published 1850 [ vocal trio for 2 tenors and bass with piano ], A.Diabelli & Co., VN 8822, Wien (Nachlaß-Lieferung 45) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Klage um Ali Bey", D 496A (1816), published 1968 [ voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Klaagzang om Ali Bey", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "Lament for Ali Bey", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Plainte sur Ali Bey", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this text: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 25
Word count: 112

Plainte sur Ali Bey

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Laissez-moi ! laissez-moi ! je veux me lamenter,
Ne plus heureux, jamais !
Abou Dahab a vaincu
Ali et son armée.

Un guerrier aussi vaillant et intrépide,
Il n'y en aura plus ;
De tous il a été le vainqueur,
Les coupant en petits morceaux.

Il dédaignait le vin et les femmes,
Il ne suivait que le chemin de la bataille,
Et par les journalistes
Il était adoré.

Mais maintenant il est tombé,
Ah, s'il ne l'était pas !
Ah, parmi tous les beys,
Il n'y avait pas un bey comme lui !

Quiconque en Syrie disait :
"Quel malheur qu'il soit tombé !"
Et dans toute l'Égypte
Les hommes et les crocodiles pleuraient.

Daher voit en songe, semble-t-il,
Au sérail, avec horreur,
La tête de son ami, et pleure
Sur lui, de ses yeux.

Note : Ali Bey était le chef des Mamelouks en Égypte. Il a été vaincu et tué par son favori Abou Dahab en 1773. Daher était un chef bédouin et ami d'Ali Bey.

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 Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Klage um Aly Bey", written 1773, first published 1773

This text was added to the website: 2011-05-14
Line count: 24
Word count: 135