Maxim | Only strive diligently for the favour of the world

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by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Bau nur auf Weltgunst recht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Bau nur auf Weltgunst recht
Und paß' auf jeden Wink und Gruß,
Wirst dabei nimmer fröhlich werden!
Es hat's kein Hund so schlecht,
Der hinter seinen Herren muß,
Nicht frei spazieren kann auf Erden.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Joseph Freiherrn von Eichendorff's sämmtliche Werke. Zweite Auflage. Erster Band. Leipzig, Voigt & Günther. 1864, page 319, untitled, as no. 5 of Sprüche; however during Eichendorff's lifetime this was titled "Spruch".

Text Authorship:

by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), "Spruch", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Sängerleben [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 Wolfgang Fortner (1907 - 1987), "Bau nur auf Weltgunst recht" [ mixed chorus ], from Sprüche von Joseph von Eichendorff, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Maxim", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Linda Godry

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-04
Line count: 6
Word count: 34

Maxim

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Only strive diligently for the favour of the world
And watch for every signal and greeting,
You shall never become happy thereby!
No dog has such a sorry lot,
Who has to follow his master,
And cannot walk freely upon the earth.

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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), "Spruch", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Sängerleben
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-05-19
Line count: 6
Word count: 42