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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

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by Erich Kurt Mühsam (1878 - 1934)
Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Lebensregel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
An allen Früchten unbedenklich lecken;
vor Gott und Teufel nie die Waffen strecken;
Künftiges mißachten, Früheres nicht bereuen;
den Augenblick nicht deuten und nicht scheuen;
dem Leben zuschaun; andrer Glück nicht neiden;
stets Spielkind sein, neugierig noch im Leiden;
am eigenen Schicksal unbeteiligt sein -
das heißt genießen und geheiligt sein.

Text Authorship:

  • by Erich Kurt Mühsam (1878 - 1934), "Lebensregel", appears in Wüste - Krater - Wolken. Die Gedichte. [author's text not yet checked 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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Lebensregel", 2010 [medium voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , written 2010, copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-12-28
Line count: 8
Word count: 50

Enjoy all the harmless fruits of life
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Enjoy all the harmless fruits of life;
Never take up weapons against God or the Devil;
Disdain coming things, regret not what came before;
Don't bother interpreting the moment nor shrink from it;
Keep an eye on life; envy not another's fortune;
Remain playful, curious even in sorrow;
On one's own fate be detached --
Which means to enjoy it and be blessed.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), written 2010, copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Erich Kurt Mühsam (1878 - 1934), "Lebensregel", appears in Wüste - Krater - Wolken. Die Gedichte.
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-12-28
Line count: 8
Word count: 62

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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