Thursday, July 22, 2010
Praise of Laziness
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781), Praise of Laziness (Lob der Faulheit):
Pieter van der Heyden, Desidia (Sloth),
after Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Related posts:
Newer› ‹Older
Laziness, now I want to bring you, too, a little song of praise. O — how trouble — some — it is for me — to extol — you — as you deserve! However, I will do my best; after work, to rest is good.German text from Peter Demetz and W.T.H. Jackson, An Anthology of German Literature: 800-1750 (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1968), p. 324, who in a note explain that sauer (usually = "sour, bitter") here = "troublesome, laborious".
Summum bonum! The one who possesses you, his life is untroubled — alas! — I'm — yawning — I'm — getting worn out — now — please — forgive me for being unable to sing to you; indeed, you are preventing me from doing so.
Faulheit, jetzo will ich dir
Auch ein kleines Loblied bringen. —
O — wie sau — er — wird es mir —
Dich — nach Würden — zu besingen!
Doch, ich will mein bestes tun,
Nach der Arbeit ist gut ruhn.
Höchstes Gut! wer dich nur hat,
Dessen ungestörtes Leben —
Ach! — ich — gähn' — ich — werde matt —
Nun — so — magst du — mir's vergeben,
Daß ich dich nicht singen kann;
Du verhinderst mich ja dran.
after Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Related posts:
- Lazy Man's Song
- Exquisite Pregnant Idleness
- How Can I Work?
- Dolce Far Niente
- Indefeasible Indolence
- Weekdays of Unfreedom
- The Dreary Vacuum of Idleness
- Idleness and Business
- Darling Laziness
- Archilochus on the Idle Life
- Idleness
- More on Idleness
- Futile Work
- Otium Cum Dignitate
