The violet
The violet is a poem written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1774 , which was first published in 1775 as part of the Erwin und Elmire singspiel in the literary magazine Iris. Quarterly for women was published.
Settings
A setting of the songs by Johann André was added to the first publication . Johann Friedrich Reichardt set it to music again in 1783; another setting by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was created in 1785 ( KV 476). There are also a number of other settings that have largely been forgotten, including those by Josef Anton Steffan , Johann André, Anna Amalia von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel and Clara Schumann .
content
The poem describes a violet that, when a shepherdess approaches, wishes to be picked by her. But the latter does not notice the inconspicuous little flower and steps on it; the violet is nevertheless happy that it is killed by the shepherdess. Hans Kuhn described the poem as a “ masochistic counterpart” to Goethe's “ Heidenröslein ”.
text
A violet stood in the meadow,
hunched over and unknown;
it was a sweet violet.
A 'young shepherdess came
along with a light step and lively mind
, down
the meadow and sang.
Oh! thinks the violet, if I were only
nature's most beautiful flower,
oh, just a little while,
until my darling plucked me off
and pressed me dull on the bosom,
oh, only, oh, only for
a quarter of an hour!
Oh but oh! The girl came
and did not take
care of the violet, poor violet was drowned.
It sank and died, and is still happy:
and if I die, then I will die
through her, through her,
at her feet!
literature
- Hans Kuhn : "Gender-related floral metaphors in songs of the Goethe era." In: Yearbook for Folk Song Research , Vol. 44 (1999), pp. 122–126, ISSN 0075-2789 ( introduction ).
- Max Friedlaender (Ed.): "Poems by Goethe in compositions of his contemporaries" ( Writings of the Goethe Society ; Vol. 11). Olms, Hildesheim 1975, ISBN 3-487-05474-4 (reprint of the Weimar 1896 edition).
Web links
- Das Veilchen : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
