Dank des Paria
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Daß du Schöpfer bist der Welten!
Dich als meinen Herrscher nenn ich;
Denn du läßest alle gelten.
Und verschließest auch dem Letzten
Keines von den tausend Ohren;
Uns, die tief herabgesetzten,
Alle hast du neu geboren.
Wendet euch zu dieser Frauen,
Die der Schmerz zur Göttin wandelt!
Nun beharr ich anzuschauen
Den, der einzig wirkt und handelt.
Pariah’s prayer of thanks
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
That you are the creator of worlds!
I name you as my Lord;
Because you value everyone.
Even towards the least
You do not close your thousand ears;
We, who are placed at the very bottom,
All you have born anew.
Go ahead and turn towards this woman,
A goddess formed by pain!
Now I insist on looking upon you
Who alone creates and acts.
Dank des Paria
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Pariah’s prayer of thanks
English source:
Richard Stokes
Großer Brahma! Nun erkenn ich,
Great Brahma! Now I realize
Daß du Schöpfer bist der Welten!
That you are the creator of worlds!
Dich als meinen Herrscher nenn ich;
I name you as my Lord;
Denn du läßest alle gelten.
Because you value everyone.
Und verschließest auch dem Letzten
Even towards the least
Keines von den tausend Ohren;
You do not close your thousand ears;
Uns, die tief herabgesetzten,
We, who are placed at the very bottom,
Alle hast du neu geboren.
All you have born anew.
Wendet euch zu dieser Frauen,
Go ahead and turn towards this woman,
Die der Schmerz zur Göttin wandelt!
A goddess formed by pain!
Nun beharr ich anzuschauen
Now I insist on looking upon you
Den, der einzig wirkt und handelt.
Who alone creates and acts.
Composer
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf was born on 13 March 1860, the fourth of six surviving children, in Windischgraz, Styria, then part of the Austrian Empire. He was taught the piano and violin by his father at an early age and continued to study piano at the…
Poet
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a German writer and statesman. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on…