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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Stirbt der Fuchs, so gilt der Balg
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Nach Mittage saßen wir
Junges Volk im Kühlen;
Amor kam, und, stirbt der Fuchs
Wollt' er mit uns spielen.

Jeder meiner Freunde saß
Froh bei seinem Herzchen;
Amor blies die Fackel aus,
Sprach: hier ist das Kerzchen!

Und die Fackel, wie sie glomm,
Ließ man eilig wandern,
Jeder drückte sie geschwind
In die Hand des Andern.

Und mir reichte Dorilis
Sie mit Spott und Scherze;
Kaum berührt mein Finger sie,
Hell entflammt die Kerze,

Sengt mir Augen und Gesicht,
Setzt die Brust in Flammen;
Über meinem Haupte schlug
Faßt die Glut zusammen.

Löschen wollt' ich, patschte zu;
Doch es brennt beständig;
Statt zu sterben ward der Fuchs
Recht bei mir lebendig.

Note provided by Iain Sneddon: From the Deutsches Wörterbuch by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: “He who lives long, is old” is a parlour game in which is a glowing torch is passed in turn from hand to hand, each time the recipient says those words. The person holding the taper when it glows must pay a forfeit. Goethe’s title “If the fox dies, the pelt is still of use” is the phrase spoken to delay the passing on of the torch.


Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Stirbt der Fuchs, so gilt der Balg" [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 Václav Jan Křtitel Tomášek (1774 - 1850), "Stirbt der Fuchs, so gilt der Balg", op. 58 (Gedichte von Goethe: VI) no. 2 (1815?) [ voice and piano ], Prague, Marco Berra  [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Wendelin Weißheimer (1838 - 1910), "Stirbt der Fuchs, so gilt der Balg" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Karl Friedrich Zelter (1758 - 1832), "Stirbt der Fuchs, so gilt der Balg", 1807 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Iain Sneddon) , "Forfeits", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Si le renard meurt, sa peau vaut cher", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 111

Si le renard meurt, sa peau vaut cher
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Jeunes gens, après midi
Nous étions assis au frais ;
Vint Amour qui voulut avec nous
Jouer à "Si le renard meurt".

Chacun de mes amis était assis
Joyeux auprès de sa douce amie ;
Amour souffla le flambeau
Et dit : voilà la petite bougie !

Et tandis que le flambeau rougeoyait
On le fit vite voyager,
Chacun le passant rapidement
Dans la main de l'autre.

Et Dorilis me le tendit,
Moqueuse et badine ;
À peine eut-elle touché mon doigt
Que la bougie s'enflamme,

Me brûle les yeux et la figure,
Me met le feu au corps ;
Au-dessus de ma tête
Jaillissaient des braises.

D'un coup de patte je voulus l'éteindre
Mais elle continuait de brûler ;
Au lieu de mourir, le renard,
Juste à côté de moi, était vivant.

Note : "Si le renard meurt, sa peau vaut cher" était un jeu de société au cours duquel on se passait une bougie de main en main en récitant une comptine.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2012 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Stirbt der Fuchs, so gilt der Balg"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2012-09-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 126

Gentle Reminder

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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