Cathy, you are supposed to use the literal translation as a guide to what the German says. That is what I do for the translations from languages I don't read. It is the only way we can have these kinds of bake-offs, since no one can be expected to read all languages fluently.

Susan

Susan, I know that's the concept, but . . . at least most of these are from French originals :).

I like this a great deal--the DG's complaint about the anaphora is partly mitigated by the music, where the melody supplies the repetition.

Again, kudos to the Yodeler!

I like the first stanza enormously. My interest tails off a bit after that, but I think that is Brecht's fault rather than the translator's. Seems like a good solid job to me.

Excellent! It's great fun, and (with one or two minor exceptions) the translation fits the music almost perfectly, down to the little clusters of fast notes. I was sorry that the two fast notes at the start of the final line of each verse weren't retained, but I could only listen to the Ernst Busch version, and perhaps they are not in the one by Teresa Stratas.

Sam Gwynn, Thanks for the pointers; I agree about "pretentious," and I've changed it to "man's too undemanding..." (with a little echo of "man" that seems OK to me). I didn't change "but they do not suffice," partly to avoid repeating "just," and also because I think the song has a schoolteacherish tone for which the primness of "they do not suffice" works.
Thanks Again!
--Diane