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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Wie konnt' ich sonst so tapfer schmählen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
GRETCHEN 
(Nach der Gespräche mit Lieschen, nach Hause gehend, betrübt)
 Wie konnt' ich sonst so tapfer schmählen,
 [Sah ich]1 ein armes Mägdlein fehlen!
 Wie konnt' ich über andrer Sünden
 Nicht Worte g'nug der Zunge finden!
 Wie schien mir's schwarz, und schwärzt's noch gar,
 Mir's immer doch nicht schwarz g'nug war,
 Und segnet' mich und tat so groß,
 Und bin nun selbst der Sünde bloß!
 Doch -- alles, was dazu mich trieb,
 Gott! War so gut! Ach, war so lieb!

Available sung texts:   ← What is this?

•   C. Kreutzer 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Kreutzer: "Wenn tät"

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Faust, in Der Tragödie erster Teil (Part I) [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 Carl Debrois van Bruyck (1828 - 1902), "Wie konnt' ich sonst so tapfer schmählen", published 1900 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder Gretchens aus Goethe's Faust für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 2, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Conradin Kreutzer (1780 - 1849), "Am Brunnen", 1820 [ voice and piano ], from Gesänge aus Goethe's Faust, no. 18, an edition from 1836 is mentioned by Hofmeister, published Wien, Trentsensky [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2012-02-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 79

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