Goethe, from "Das Schenkenbuch,"
West-östlicher Divan (tr. John Weiss):
I sit alone,
It suits me well, I own;
My wine I drink
Alone, and think;
No one setting bounds to me,
So I have my thinking free.
Sitz' ich allein,
Wo kann ich besser sein?
Meinen Wein
Trink' ich allein;
Niemand setzt mir Schranken,
Ich hab' so meine eignen Gedanken.
The same, tr. Martin Bidney:
Alone, just me.
And what could better be?
Drinking wine
Alone — quite fine.
No obligation, free —
My thoughts may wander by their own design.
There's a musical setting by Robert Schumann,
Myrthen, Opus 25, No. 5:
