The sorcerer's apprentice

(1) The old sorcerer
Has final­ly gone away!
Now the spi­rits he controls
Shall obey my commands.

(2) I've noted his method,
What he says and does,
And with strength of spirit,
I shall work won­ders too.

(3) Wan­der! Wander
On and on,
So that water
Might flow,
And gush abundantly
And fill the bath.

(4) So come along, you old broomstick!
Dress yours­elf in rot­ten rags!
You've long been a servant;
Obey my orders now!

(5) Stand up on two legs,
Let's give you a head on top,
Make haste now and off you go
With the water-jug!

(6) Wan­der! Wander
On and on,
So that water
Might flow,
And gush abundantly
And fill the bath.

(7) Look, he's run­ning down to the bank;
In truth! He's alre­a­dy rea­ched the river,
And back he comes as quick as lightning
And swift­ly pours it all out.

(8) Here he comes a second time!
Look how the tub is filling!
Look how every basin
Fills to overflowing!

(9) Stand still, stand still!
Becau­se we
Have had our fill
Of all your gifts! -
Alas! Alas! I rea­li­se now;
I've for­got­ten the magic word!

(10) The word, alas, that turns him back
Into what he once was.
Alas! spee­di­ly he runs and fetches!
If only you were a broom as before!

(11) He keeps rus­hing in
With more and more water,
Alas! a hundred rivers
Pour down on my head!

(12) No, I won't per­mit it
A moment longer;
I shall sei­ze him.
Oh, the spi­teful brute!
Ah, now I'm get­ting real­ly scared!
What a face! And what a look!

(13) O, you crea­tu­re from hell!
Shall the enti­re hou­se be drowned?
I can see streams of water
Pou­ring through every door.

(14) A despi­ca­ble broom
Not to listen!
You who were once a stick -
Will you once again stand still!

(15) Will you never
Ever stop?
I'll catch you,
I'll hold you,
And swift­ly split this old wood
With this sharp hatchet.

(16) Look, once more he comes, drag­ging pails!
Wait till I get to grips with you,
Then, O goblin, I'll knock you flat;
The smooth bla­de cra­s­hes down on him.

(17) A fine blow, in truth!
Look - he's split in two.
There's hope for me now,
I can brea­the free­ly again!

(18) Alas! alas!
Both halves
Stand up at once,
A pair of servants,
Rea­dy for action!
Ah, help me, you powers on high!

(19) And off they run! Hall and steps
Get wet­ter and wetter.
What a ghast­ly inundation!
Lord and master, hear my cries! -

(20) Ah, my master comes at last!
Sir, I'm in despe­ra­te straits!
The spi­rits I summoned -
I can't get rid of them.

(21) 'Into the corner,
Brooms! Brooms -
Have done!
Only your old master
Can call you forth
As spirits.'

[Eng­lish Trans­la­ti­on © Richard Stokes]

The sorcerer's apprentice

(1) Good! The sorce­rer, my old master
left me here alo­ne today!
Now his spi­rits, for a change,
my own wis­hes shall obey!

(2) Having memorized
what to say and do,
with my powers of will I can
do some wit­ching, too!

(3) Go, I say,
Go on your way,
do not tarry,
water carry,
let it flow abundantly,
and prepa­re a bath for me!

(4) Come on now, old broom, get dressed,
the­se old rags will do just fine!
You're a slave in any case,
and today you will be mine!

(5) May you have two legs,
and a head on top,
take the bucket, quick
hur­ry, do not stop!

(6) Go, I say,
Go on your way,
do not tarry,
water carry,
let it flow abundantly,
and prepa­re a bath for me!

(7) Look, how to the bank he's running!
and now he has rea­ched the river,
he returns, as quick as lightning,
once more water to deliver.

(8) Look! The tub already
is almost fil­led up!
And now he is filling
every bowl and cup!

(9) Stop! Stand still!
Heed my will!
I've enough
of the stuff!
I've for­got­ten - woe is me!
what the magic word may be.

(10) Oh, the word to chan­ge him back
into what he was before!
Oh, he runs, and keeps on going!
Wish you'd be a broom once more!

(11) He keeps brin­ging water
quick­ly as can be,
and a hundred rivers
he pours down on me!

(12) No, no longer
can I let him,
I must get him
with some trick!
I'm begin­ning to feel sick.
What a look! - and what a face!

(13) O, you ugly child of Hades!
The enti­re hou­se will drown!
Ever­y­whe­re I look, I see
water, water, run­ning down.

(14) Be you dam­ned, old broom,
why won't you obey?
Be a stick once more,
plea­se, I beg you, stay!

(15) Is the end
not in sight?
I will grab you,
hold you tight,
with my axe I'll split the brittle
old wood smart­ly down the middle.

(16) Here he comes again with water!
Now I'll throw mys­elf upon you,
and the sharp­ness of my axe
I will test, o spi­rit, on you.

(17) Well, a per­fect hit!
See how he is split!
Now there's hope for me,
and I can brea­the free!

(18) Woe is me! Both pieces
come to life anew,
now, to do my bidding
I have ser­vants two!
Help me, o gre­at powers!
Plea­se, I'm begging you!

(19) And they're run­ning! Wet and wetter
get the stairs, the rooms, the hall!
What a delu­ge! What a flood!
Lord and master, hear my call!

(20) Ah, here comes the master!
I have need of Thee!
from the spi­rits that I called
Sir, deli­ver me!

(21) “Back now, broom,
into the closet!
Be thou as thou
wert before!
Until I, the real master
call thee forth to ser­ve once more!”

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The Pupil in Magic

(1) I am now, — what joy to hear it!—
Of the old magi­ci­an rid;
And hence­forth shall ev’ry spirit
Do whate’er by me is bid;

(2) I have watch’d with rigour
All he used to do,
And will now with vigour
Work my won­ders too.

(3) Wan­der, wander
Onward lightly,
So that rightly
Flow the torrent,
And with tee­ming waters yonder
In the bath dischar­ge its current!

(4) And now come, thou well-worn broom,
And thy wret­ched form bestir;
Thou hast ever ser­ved as groom,
So ful­fil my plea­su­re, sir!

(5) On two legs now stand,
With a head on top;
Water­pail in hand, Haste, and do not stop!

(6) Wan­der, wander
Onward lightly,
So that rightly
Flow the torrent,
And with tee­ming waters yonder
In the bath dischar­ge its current!

(7) See! he’s run­ning to the shore,
And has now attain’d the pool,
And with light­ning speed once more
Comes here, with his bucket full!

(8) Back he then repairs;
See how swells the tide!
How each pail he bears
Straight­way is supplied!

(9) Stop, for, lo!
All the measure
Of thy treasure
Now is right!—
Ah, I see it! woe, oh woe!
I for­get the word of might.

(10) Ah, the word who­se sound can straight
Make him what he was before!

(11) Ah, he runs with nim­ble gait!
Would thou wert a broom once more!
Streams renew’d for ever
Quick­ly brin­geth he;
River after river
Rus­he­th on poor me!

(12) Now no longer
Can I bear him;
I will sna­re him,
Kna­vish sprite!
Ah, my ter­ror waxes stronger!
What a look! what fear­ful sight

(13) Oh, thou vil­lain child of hell!
Shall the hou­se through thee be drown’d
Floods I see that wild­ly swell,
O'er the thres­hold gai­ning ground.

(14) Wilt thou not obey,
Oh, thou broom accurs’d?
Be thou still I pray,
As thou wert at first!

(15) Will enough
Never plea­se thee?
I will sei­ze thee,
Hold thee fast,
And thy nim­ble wood so tough,
With my sharp axe split at last.

(16) See, once more he hastens back!
Now, oh Cobold, thou shalt catch it!
I will rush upon his track;
Cras­hing on him falls my hatchet.

(17) Bra­ve­ly done, indeed!
See, he’s cleft in twain!
Now from care I'm freed,
And can brea­the again.

(18) Woe, oh woe! Both the parts,
Quick as darts, Stand on end,
Ser­vants of my drea­ded foe!
Oh, ye gods pro­tec­tion send!

(19) And they run! and wet­ter still
Grow the steps and grows the hail.
Lord and master hear me call!
Ever seems the flood to fill,

(20) Ah, he’s coming! see,
Gre­at is my dismay!
Spi­rits rai­sed by me
Vain­ly would I lay!

(21) “To the side
Of the room
Hasten, broom,
As of old!
Spi­rits I have ne’er untied
Save to act as they are told.”

(The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)
a trans­la­ti­on of Der Zau­ber­lehr­ling by Johann Wolf­gang von Goethe