Folklore: Sorcerer's Apprentice - other versions?

Subject: Folklore: Sorcerer's Apprentice/Zauberlehrling
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 06:02 AM

I've wondered about the story behind "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" for most of my life. Supposedly, there's a tale by that name by the Brothers Grimm, but it's quite different from the story in Disney's Fantasia that I grew up with. Can anybody find a text and translation of the Grimm version? I found a Grimm Brothers Home Page, but no Zauberlehrling.
I read somewhere that Paul Dukas (1865-1935) used a poem by goethe as the basis for his musical composition. I found the text tonight at this site (click). I'm wondering what other versions of the story are known.
-Joe Offer-

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Der Zauberlehrling (The wizard's apprentice)

Text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Hat der alte Hexenmeister	The old witch-master
Sich doch einmal wegbegeben!	has finally gone away!
Und nun sollen seine Geister	And now I too shall invoke his spirits
Auch nach meinem Willen leben.	and bring them to life by my will.
Seine Wort' und Werke	His words and work
Merk' ich, und den Brauch,	I have noted, and the method,
Und mit Geistesstärke	and with the might of these spirits,
Tu' ich Wunder auch.	I shall also work wonders!
Walle! Walle	Flow! Flow
Manche Strecke,	many ways,
Daß zum Zwecke	so that to my purpose
Wasser fließe,	the water will run,
Und mit reichem vollen Schwalle	and with a rich, full splash
Zu dem Bade sich ergieße.	it will all land in the tub.
Und nun komm, du alter Besen!	Now come, old broomstick!
Nimm die schlechten Lumpenhüllen,	Take your foul rag wrapping
Bist schon lange Knecht gewesen,	(you have long been our servant!)
Und erfülle meinen Willen.	and fulfill my wishes.
Auf zwei Beinen stehe,	Stand on two legs,
Oben sei ein Kopf,	and let there be a head on top.
Eile nun und gehe	Hurry now and go
Mit dem Wassertopf!	with the water-pail!
Walle! Walle	Flow, flow
Manche Strecke,	many ways
Daß zum Zwecke	so that to my purpose
Wasser fließe,	the water will run,
Und mit reichem vollen Schwalle	and with a rich, full splash
Zu dem Bade sich ergieße.	it will all land in the tub.
Seht! er läuft zum Ufer nieder,	Look! he is running to the banks below,
Wahrlich! ist schon an dem Fluße,	truly! he is already at the river,
Und mit Blitzesschnelle wieder	and lightning-quick he's back again
Ist er hier mit raschem Gusse,	to dump the water swiftly;
Schon zum zweitenmale!	and now already he's gone a second time!
Wie das Becken schwillt!	Oh how the basin is filling!
Wie sich jede Schaale	Now every basin
Voll mit Wasser füllt!	has been filled with water!
Stehe! Stehe	Stand still! Stop!
Denn wir haben	For we have
Deiner Gaben	of your gifts
Vollgemessen!	had enough!
Ach! ich merk es: Wehe! Wehe!	Oh! I've just noticed: woe, woe,
Hab ich doch das Wort vergessen!	I have forgotten the magic word!
Ach! das Wort, worauf am Ende	Oh, the word to use at the end,
Er das wird, was er gewesen.	to make him what he was...
Ach! er läuft und bringt behende!	oh! he is so agile as he runs and brings the water!
Wärst du doch der alte Besen!	Would that you were just an old broomstick again!
Immer neue Güsse	More and more water
Bringt er schnell herein.	is he bringing in so rapidly.
Ach! und hundert Flüße	Oh! a hundred rivers
Stürzen auf mich ein.	have burst in upon me.
Nein, nicht länger	No! no longer
Kann ichs lassen,	can I permit this to continue.
Will ihn fassen,	I will seize him,
Das ist Tücke!	the perfidious thing.
Ach! nun wird mir immer bänger!	Oh! I'm growing more and more frightened!
Welche Miene! Welche Blicke!	What a face, what a glare!
O! du Ausgeburt der Hölle!	Oh you offspring of hell!
Soll das ganze Haus ersaufen?	Do you mean to drown the entire house?
Seh ich über jede Schwelle	I can already see across every threshold
Doch schon Wasserströme laufen,	streams of water running.
Ein verruchter Besen!	Wicked broom!
Der nicht hören will.	It will not listen.
Stock! der du gewesen,	Stick that you once were,
Steh doch einmal still!	just stand still once more!
Willst's am Ende	Finally, if you
Gar nicht lassen;	will not let off,
Will dich fassen,	I will grab you,
Will dich halten,	I will hold you,
Und das alte Holz behende	and quickly split this old wood
Mit dem scharfen Beile spalten.	with a sharp axe.
Seht! da kommt er schleppend wieder!	Look! he's coming again!
Wie ich mich nun auf dich werfe,	How I will set upon you now,
Gleich, o Kobold! liegst du nieder:	you gremlin! there, I've knocked you down.
Krachend trifft die glatte Schärfe.	Crash! goes the smooth, sharp blade.
Wahrlich! brav getroffen.	Really a true stroke.
Seht! er ist entzwei:	Look, he is cut in two:
Und nun kann ich hoffen,	and now I can hope
Und ich atme frei.	to breethe freely now.
Wehe! Wehe!	Woe! Woe!
Beide Teile	Both pieces
Stehn, in Eile,	are standing up in haste,
Schon als Knechte	ready-made servants
Völlig fertig in die Höhe!	rising in stature!
Helft mir! ach ihr hohen Mächte!	Help me! oh higher powers!
Und sie laufen, naß und näßer	And they run, and it grows wetter and wetter
Wird's im Saal und auf den Stufen:	in the hall and on the steps:
Welch entsetzliches Gewässer!	What an appalling flood!
Herr und Meister! hör mich rufen!	Lord and Master! hear me call!
Ach! da kommt der Meister!	Ah! the Master is coming!
Herr! die Not ist groß:	Sir, I am in a huge mess:
Die ich rief als Geister	I have summoned spirits
Werd' ich nun nicht los.	that I cannot dispell.
"In die Ecke,	"To the corner,
Besen, Besen!	broomstick, broomstick!
Seid's gewesen.	Be done.
Denn als Geister	For as a spirit
Ruft euch nur	you shall be called
Zu seinem Zwecke	for my purpose
Erst hervor	henceforth only
Der alte Meister."	by your old Master."

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Translation to English by Emily Ezust

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this page (click) has an alternate translation:

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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That old sorcerer has vanished
And for once has gone away!
Spirits called by him, now banished,
My commands shall soon obey.
Every step and saying
That he used, I know,
And with sprites obeying
My arts I will show.

Flow, flow onward
Stretches many
Spare not any
Water rushing,
Ever streaming fully downward
Toward the pool in current gushing.

Come, old broomstick, you are needed,
Take these rags and wrap them round you!
Long my orders you have heeded,
By my wishes now I've bound you.
Have two legs and stand,
And a head for you.
Run, and in your hand
Hold a bucket too.

Flow, flow onward
Stretches many,
Spare not any
Water rushing,
Ever streaming fully downward
Toward the pool in current gushing.

See him, toward the shore he's racing
There, he's at the stream already,
Back like lightning he is chasing,
Pouring water fast and steady.
Once again he hastens!
How the water spills,
How the water basins
Brimming full he fills!

Stop now, hear me!
Ample measure
Of your treasure
We have gotten!
Ah, I see it, dear me, dear me.
Master's word I have forgotten!

Ah, the word with which the master
Makes the broom a broom once more!
Ah, he runs and fetches faster!
Be a broomstick as before!
Ever new the torrents
That by him are fed,
Ah, a hundred currents
Pour upon my head!

No, no longer
Can I please him,
I will seize him!
That is spiteful!
My misgivings grow the stronger.
What a mien, his eyes how frightful!

Brood of hell, you're not a mortal!
Shall the entire house go under?
Over threshold over portal
Streams of water rush and thunder.
Broom accurst and mean,
Who will have his will,
Stick that you have been,
Once again stand still!

Can I never, Broom, appease you?
I will seize you,
Hold and whack you,
And your ancient wood
I'll sever,
With a whetted axe I'll crack you.

He returns, more water dragging!
Now I'll throw myself upon you!
Soon, 0 goblin, you'll be sagging.
Crash! The sharp axe has undone you.
What a good blow, truly!
There, he's split, I see.
Hope now rises newly,
And my breathing's free.

Woe betide me!
Both halves scurry
In a hurry,
Rise like towers
There beside me.
Help me, help, eternal powers!

Off they run, till wet and wetter
Hall and steps immersed are Iying.
What a flood that naught can fetter!
Lord and master, hear me crying! -
Ah, he comes excited.
Sir, my need is sore.
Spirits that I've cited
My commands ignore.

"To the lonely
Corner, broom!
Hear your doom.
As a spirit
When he wills, your master only
Calls you, then 'tis time to hear it."

1779, translation by Edwin Zeydel, 1955      

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sorcerer's Apprentice - other versions?
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 06:15 AM

There's a version by (Thomas?) Barham, in the Ingoldsby Legends, which he sets in an area known as the Bayle, in Folkestone, Kent, England, and I believe I have seen another in which the magician is Friar Bacon, at Oxford, or else Friar Bungay. I have seen an African story teller on TV tell a version from West Africa.

The Bayle setting is interesting because the first settlement there, a convent, had its prayer times disturbed because the nuns had to spend so much time going up and down the hill to the stream to fetch water. The young Jutish Abbess arranged for an aqueduct to be dug to bring water from a spring about 3 miles away. Or arranged a miraculous flow as I was told, aged 7. It still provided water until the founding of the local water company in Victorian times, so would have been known to Barham. I don't know if this would have influenced his setting the story there, or whether it indicates his attitude to young women entering the career or water engineering....

Penny

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sorcerer's Apprentice - other versions?
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 06:16 AM

career of water...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sorcerer's Apprentice - other versions?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 06:16 AM

Found this Joe, may give you some leads:

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a celebrated story with a rich history. It was popularized in the late eighteenth century by German writer and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) in his poem, "Der Zauberlehrling" (The Magician's Assistant). He based his poem on the Philopseudes, a dialogue written by Lucian in the second century. In the Philopseudes (The Lover of Lies), the character Eucrates meets a powerful Egyptian magician named Pancrates. They become friends, and Pancrates invites Eucrates to come live with him.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sorcerer's Apprentice - other versions?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 06:19 AM

here is a link to the whole article.

Jon

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sorcerer's Apprentice - other versions?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 08:34 AM

The original Greek text is HERE (Reading Ancient Greek Texts). No English translation.

Lucianus' Philopseudes 34-36 (by Marjorie Hoefmans): this passage contains the charming ancient sorcery tale on which Goethe based his ballad Der Zauberlehrling and Paul Dukas his famous Sorcerer's Apprentice, which most people know from the Disney movie Fantasia. Lucian's Greek text is presented here with a Dutch translation along with a vocabulary list and some notes on the reception of the tale (in Dutch) which include the German text of Goethe's ballad. For the Greek text the font Greek.ttf has been used.

~Masato