---
title: "The Sorrows of Young Werther · Die Leiden des jungen Werther"
author: "Johann Wolfgang von Goethe"
translator: "R. D. Boylan"
title_de: "Die Leiden des jungen Werther · The Sorrows of Young Werther"
languages: [de, en]
shelf: "Literature"
section: 82 of 89
url: https://scriptura.si/works/goethe-werther-bilingual/82/
cite: "Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, tr. R. D. Boylan, The Sorrows of Young Werther · Die Leiden des jungen Werther, section 82. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/goethe-werther-bilingual/82/"
---

# The Sorrows of Young Werther · Die Leiden des jungen Werther

*Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, tr. R. D. Boylan*

German: Die Leiden des jungen Werther · The Sorrows of Young Werther

A young man falls in love with Lotte, who is promised to another, and writes it all to a friend: the letters that made Goethe famous and all Europe weep, in German and English.

> German: Die Leiden des jungen Werther, Hamburger Ausgabe, Band 6 (Project Gutenberg #2407 and #2408, prepared by Michael Pullen, proofread by Dr. Mary Cicora).

> English: The Sorrows of Young Werther, translated by R. D. Boylan, edited by Nathan Haskell Dole (Project Gutenberg #2527). The translator’s preface has no German counterpart in this edition.

## 82. Book II · December 1

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/goethe-werther-bilingual/82/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/goethe-werther-bilingual/82/#p-N

[¶0] December 1

> German: Am 1. Dezember

[¶1] Wilhelm, the man about whom I wrote to you—that man so enviable in his misfortunes—was secretary to Charlotte's father; and an unhappy passion for her which he cherished, concealed, and at length discovered, caused him to be dismissed from his situation. This made him mad. Think, whilst you peruse this plain narration, what an impression the circumstance has made upon me! But it was related to me by Albert with as much calmness as you will probably peruse it.

> German: Wilhelm! Der Mensch, von dem ich dir schrieb, der glückliche Unglückliche, war Schreiber bei Lottens Vater, und eine Leidenschaft zu ihr, die er nährte, verbarg, entdeckte und worüber er aus dem Dienst geschickt wurde, hat ihn rasend gemacht. Fühle bei diesen trocknen Worten, mit welchem Unsinn mich die Geschichte ergriffen hat, da mir sie Albert ebenso gelassen erzählte, als du sie vielleicht liesest.