Text & Translation
Der Schäfer
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Ein rechter Siebenschläfer,
Ihn kümmerte kein Schaf.
Ein Mädchen konnt ihn fassen,
Da war der Tropf verlassen,
Fort Appetit und Schlaf!
Es trieb ihn in die Ferne,
Des Nachts zählt er die Sterne,
Er klagt und härmt sich brav.
Nun da sie ihn genommen,
Ist alles wieder kommen,
Durst, Appetit und Schlaf.
The Shepherd
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
A veritable lay-abed,
He never bothered about his sheep.
A girl took his fancy,
The fool was then forlorn,
Gone all appetite and sleep!
He was driven to distant parts,
Counting the stars at night,
Moaning and complaining mightily.
Now she’s accepted him,
He’s got them all back again,
Thirst, appetite and sleep.
Der Schäfer
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The Shepherd
English source:
Richard Stokes
Es war ein fauler Schäfer,
There was once a lazy shepherd,
Ein rechter Siebenschläfer,
A veritable lay-abed,
Ihn kümmerte kein Schaf.
He never bothered about his sheep.
Ein Mädchen konnt ihn fassen,
A girl took his fancy,
Da war der Tropf verlassen,
The fool was then forlorn,
Fort Appetit und Schlaf!
Gone all appetite and sleep!
Es trieb ihn in die Ferne,
He was driven to distant parts,
Des Nachts zählt er die Sterne,
Counting the stars at night,
Er klagt und härmt sich brav.
Moaning and complaining mightily.
Nun da sie ihn genommen,
Now she’s accepted him,
Ist alles wieder kommen,
He’s got them all back again,
Durst, Appetit und Schlaf.
Thirst, appetite and sleep.
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…