Friday, March 21, 2025
Lieder
Julian, Beard-Hater 337 C - 338 A (tr. Wilmer Cave Wright):
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Indeed I have observed that even the barbarians across the Rhine sing savage songs composed in language not unlike the croaking of harsh-voiced birds, and that they delight in such songs. For I think it is always the case that inferior musicians, though they annoy their audiences, give very great pleasure to themselves.I cherish the memory of playing the piano to accompany my friend Jim K. (a superior musician) when he sang Schumann's "Ich grolle nicht".
ἐθεασάμην τοι καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τὸν Ῥῆνον βαρβάρους ἄγρια μέλη λέξει πεποιημένα παραπλησίᾳ τοῖς κρωγμοῖς τῶν τραχὺ βοώντων ὀρνίθων ᾄδοντας καὶ εὐφραινομένους ἐπὶ τοῖς μέλεσιν. εἶναι γὰρ οἶμαι συμβαίνει τοῖς φαύλοις τὴν μουσικὴν λυπηροῖς μὲν τοῖς θεάτροις, σφίσι δ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἡδίστοις.
