Description
This is my German translation of the Thackeray poem The sorrows of Werther – a satirical résumé of Goethe’s Briefroman Die Leiden des jungen Werthers
The file on Musica Neo contains various transpositions and chord names following both the English and German methods.
The sound sample there is my own performance.
Poem by W M Thackeray 1811-1863 (German version follows below)
WERTHER had a love for Charlotte
Such as words could never utter;
Would you know how first he met her?
She was cutting bread and butter.
Charlotte was a married lady,
And a moral man was Werther,
And for all the wealth of Indies
Would do nothing for to hurt her.
So he sigh’d and pin’d and ogled,
And his passion boil’d and bubbled
Till he blew his silly brains out,
And no more was by it troubled.
Charlotte, having seen his body
Borne before her on a shutter,
Like a wellconducted person,
Went on cutting bread and butter.
German translation by David W Solomons
In Charlott’ verliebt sich Werther
Unaussprechlich Liebe loht
Und weisst du wie er ihr begegnet ist?
Sie bestrich mit Butter Brot!
Unsre Lotte war nicht ledig
Werthers Wege war’n die graden
Und um allen Schatz aus Indien
Wollt’ er ihr mitnichten schaden
Also musst’er nach ihr schmachten
Da die Inbrunst an ihm nagte
Er schoss sich in den blöden Kopf
damit es ihn nicht mehr plagte
Als Charlotte sah den Helden
statt vorm Leichnam zu erbleichen
Wie eine wohlerzogene
Fuhr sie fort, Brot zu bestreichen!