Ein truncken man on abelon/ Ein grosse plag

This German Lieder for SAATB voices is a vivid, if somewhat coarse, depiction of the life of a drunkard. The text opens by describing a man who lives a life of suffering, finding no rest and constantly striving for misfortune. He drinks greedily, beer and wine, until he is full, deaf and foolish, like a wild pig. The second part contrasts this with the idea of a plague: that one cannot be filled. It compares men to ox-bellies and donkey-sacks, suggesting that even water could fill them, and that a 'smoky beer' drinker would not drink more than necessary. However, the drunkard, it laments, is unwilling to stop, seemingly utterly besotted.