Was in der Schenke waren heute
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Am frühsten Morgen für Tumulte!
Der Wirt und Mädchen! Fackeln, Leute!
Was gab's für Händel,für Insulte!
Die Flöte klang, die Trommel scholl!
Das war ein wüstes Wesen;
Doch bin ich, Lust und Liebevoll,
Auch selbst dabei gewesen.
Daß ich von Sitte nichts gelernt,
Darüber tadelt mich ein jeder;
Doch bleib ich weislich weit entfernt
Vom Streit der Schulen und Katheder.
What a commotion at the inn
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
In the early morning today!
Landlord and girls! Torches and crowds!
Such haggling and such insults!
Flutes and drums rang out!
It was Bedlam -
But full of love and joy,
I was there as well.
I'm rebuked by all and sundry
For not knowing how to behave;
But I wisely keep far away
From the bickering of pedants.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Was in der Schenke waren heute
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
What a commotion at the inn
English source:
Richard Stokes
Was in der Schenke waren heute
What a commotion at the inn
Am frühsten Morgen für Tumulte!
In the early morning today!
Der Wirt und Mädchen! Fackeln, Leute!
Landlord and girls! Torches and crowds!
Was gab's für Händel,für Insulte!
Such haggling and such insults!
Die Flöte klang, die Trommel scholl!
Flutes and drums rang out!
Das war ein wüstes Wesen;
It was Bedlam -
Doch bin ich, Lust und Liebevoll,
But full of love and joy,
Auch selbst dabei gewesen.
I was there as well.
Daß ich von Sitte nichts gelernt,
I'm rebuked by all and sundry
Darüber tadelt mich ein jeder;
For not knowing how to behave;
Doch bleib ich weislich weit entfernt
But I wisely keep far away
Vom Streit der Schulen und Katheder.
From the bickering of pedants.
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…