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Die Gleichgültigen: Komm mit, o Schöne, komm mit mir zum Tanze; Tanzen gehöret zum festlichen Tag. Bist du mein Schatz nicht, so kannst du es werden, Wirst du es nimmer, so tanzen wir doch. Komm mit, o Schöne, komm mit mir zum Tanze; Tanzen [verherrlicht den]1 festlichen Tag. Die Zärtlichen: Ohne dich, Liebste, was wären die Feste? Ohne dich, Süße, was wäre der Tanz? Wärst du mein Schatz nicht, so möcht ich nicht tanzen, Bleibst du es immer, ist Leben ein Fest. Ohne dich, Liebste, was wären die Feste? Ohne dich, Süße, was wäre der Tanz? Die Gleichgültigen: Laß sie nur lieben, und laß du uns tanzen! Schmachtende Liebe vermeidet den Tanz. Schlingen wir fröhlich den drehenden Reihen, Schleichen die andern zum dämmernden Wald. Laß sie nur lieben, und laß du uns tanzen! Schmachtende Liebe Vermeidet den Tanz. Die Zärtlichen: Laß sie sich drehen, und laß du uns wandeln! Wandeln der Liebe ist himmlischer Tanz. Amor, der nahe, der höret sie spotten, Rächet sich einmal, und rächet sich bald. Laß sie sich drehen, und laß du uns wandeln! Wandeln der Liebe ist himmlischer Tanz.
E. Křenek sets stanza 4
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Note: In the Brahms setting, when addressing the opposite sex, the female singers sing "Liebster", "Schöner", and "Süsser"; and the male singers sing "Liebste", "Schöne", and "Süsse".
1 Brahms: "gehöret zum"
Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Wechsellied zum Tanze" [author's text not yet checked 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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "Wechsellied zum Tanze", 1798, fragment [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Wechsellied zum Tanze", op. 31 (Drei Quartette für 4 Solostimmen (S., A., T., B.) mit Pianoforte) no. 1 (1859), published 1864 [ SATB quartet and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ida Henriette da Fonseca (1806 - 1858), "Wechsellied zum Tanze" [ chorus ], confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Křenek (1900 - 1991), "Wechsellied zum Tanz", op. 43a (1926), stanza 4 [ soprano and piano ], Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Wechsellied zum Tanze", published 1794 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Dialogue at the dance", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Chanson alternée pour danser", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 184
The indifferent ones: Come with me to the dance, o beauty; dancing is right for a festive day. You can become my sweetheart if you are not, but if you will never be, we can just dance. Come with me to the dance, o beauty; dancing glorifies a festive day. The tender ones: Without you, dearest, what would a festival be? Without you, my sweet, what would a dance be? If you were not my sweetheart, I would not want to dance. If you stay my sweetheart forever, life will be a celebration. Without you, dearest, what would a festival be? Without you, my sweet, what would a dance be? The indifferent ones: Let them love, but let us dance! Languishing love shuns the dance. Let us merrily weave about in spinning rows, and let the others creep off into the twilit wood. Let them love, but let us dance! Languishing love shuns the dance. The tender ones: Let them twirl, and let us wander! Wandering in love is a heavenly dance. Cupid is nearby and hears this mockery; he will have revenge someday - and soon! Let them twirl, and let us wander! Wandering in love is a heavenly dance.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
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Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Wechsellied zum Tanze"
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 201