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einwalken
VCI 16mm, kaum av.
Sep 12, 2023 13:30
9 mos ago
35 viewers *
German term

von allem Guten haben

German to English Social Sciences General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
This passage comes from a letter, written in 1940 by a Jewish woman in Vienna, Austria, to her sister in USA:

"“artha ist vor ca 2 Monaten zu ihrem Mann nach Jugoslavien gefahren, was ich Euch anscheinend zu schreiben vergaß. Sie sind bei einem Teil des Ereztransportes, der auf sein Weiterbeförderung wartet und schon so lange wie Laura unterwegs ist. Dort ist auch Sigl Löwy (David ist mit Laura), Oskar Antscherl, Moriz Schwadron, Páli Wessel, usw. Laura ist wirklich in Rumänien, es kam diese Woche eine Karte von ihr. Wenn sie nur bald weiter kämen! Lina Kanitz habe ich seit Dezember vorigen Jahres nicht gesehen. Ich weiß, daß es nicht recht von mir ist, aber ich muß nicht von allem Guten haben. Sie geht ueblich nicht aus und Tante Anna besucht sie von Zeit zu Zeit. Jeden Monat bedankt sie sich schriftlich bei mir für meine Intervention bei der K.G. [=Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde Wien].”

I find the phrase "von allem Guten haben" totally perplexing. Any ideas what the writer was getting at here?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 do right by everyone (lit. blessèd with the promise of all good things)
4 To have everything come up trumps all the time
4 'to have everything turn out fine'
3 to expect too much
1 [can't be] forever owing/returning favours
References
Another example

Proposed translations

+2
4 hrs
Selected

do right by everyone (lit. blessèd with the promise of all good things)

The expression is routinely preceded by a 'nicht' as a negative.

Ich weiß, daß es nicht recht von mir ist, aber ich muß nicht von allem Guten haben : 'I know it's unfair of me, but I do not have to do right by everyone (Heaven help me)'.

There is a religious twist to the expression that may be easy to miss - see the example sentences.

AUT : 'Trink deinen Törley (champagne) auch ohne Urlaub. Man muß nicht von allem Guten haben.' Drink up your bubbly (vs. plonk as cheap wine), even when not on holiday. You need not always do right by everyone.'
Example sentence:

Wir, die wir bei unsern Eltern im Wohlstand und *allem Guten* aufgewachsen waren, konnten es gar nicht ausdenken. ecodimaria.net We who have lived with our parents in idleness and *with all gifts from God* cannot even imagine it.

Lutherbibel 1912. Und es fehlte nichts *an allem Guten*, das der HERR dem Hause Israel verheißen hatte.//None of the good promises the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed.

Reference:

http://www.linguee.de/deutsch-englisch/uebersetzung/allem+guten.html

http://www.sefaria.org/Rav_Hirsch_on_Torah%2C_Leviticus.1.5.18?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Peer comment(s):
agree Anna Wright : There are distinct connotations of (not always being obliged to) do one's duty by everyone before God, as you say. (I came across the example you cite too.) This English idiom implies treating someone justly, so it's a good fit.
2 hrs
Thanks and danke schön, Anna. Though the phrase draws a blank in all my Austrian, Yiddish and 'Sprechen Sie Wienerisch?' dictionaries ('diccos'), the religious allusion hit me right away.
agree Tanja K : "I know it’s not right of me, but I can't always do right by everyone" (she would like to, but for some reason can't manage)
1 day 12 hrs
Danke schön and thanks, Tanja - even better ! There's nothing on the phrase in my own Langenscheidt Enz., österreich., wienerisch bzw. Jiddisch WB, but I was struck 'auf Anhieb' by the religious connotation.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you (and all the others who offered answers and reference comments)! With everyone's input, I think I was able to provide a reasonable translation of this obscure phrase."
1 hr

To have everything come up trumps all the time

" I know it's not right of me, but I don't have to have everything coming up trumps all the time. She doesn't go out as a rule, and Aunt Anna visits her from time to time. Every month she thanks me in writing for my intervention with the Israeli Cultural Community of Vienna".

As this is a literary text, a certain amount of leeway with idiomatic expressions can be applied, I feel.

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Note added at 1 hr (2023-09-12 15:21:33 GMT)
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2To come up smelling of roses" could be another idiomatic phrase to use.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Anna Wright : agree it calls for an indiomatic translation. She seems to feel a bit beholden to others -- that's the impression I get
45 mins
Maybe, yes.
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3 hrs

'to have everything turn out fine'

"“artha travelled to be with her husband in Yugoslavia about 2 months ago, which I apparently forgot to include when I wrote to you. They are with a part of the Erez Transport, which is wating for onward transportation and have already bee underway as long as Laura. Sigl Löwy is there too (David is with Laura), Oskar Antscherl, Moriz Schwadron, Páli Wessel, etc. Laura really is in Romania, we received a postcard from her this week. If they could just travel onwards soon!
I have not seen Lina Kanitz since December last year. I know it is not right of me, but I must not have everything turn out fine. She does not normally go out and Aunt Anna visits me from time to time. She sends me a written vote of thanks each month for my intervention in the K.G. [= Vienna Jewish Community].”
Peer comment(s):
neutral Andrew Bramhall : Ajnt Anna sends a written VOTE of thanks ???
3 hrs
'note'?
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5 hrs

to expect too much

She's saying that quite a few things are turning out well, but she doesn't want to expect or hope for too much
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2 hrs
German term (edited): [muß nicht] von allem Guten haben

[can't be] forever owing/returning favours

She says she ought to visit the lady, but can't bring herself to do so, and seems a bit irked to be receiving monthly thank you letters. Maybe she's referring to her own/others' good deeds, but it's really hard to figure out.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2023-09-12 16:06:34 GMT)
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Or she can't be forever beholden to others ?

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Note added at 2 hrs (2023-09-12 16:26:14 GMT)
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Or: can't always be full of good grace
[i.e. can't always play the saint]

This option may fit best.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2023-09-12 16:36:14 GMT)
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Note added at 3 hrs (2023-09-12 16:53:13 GMT)
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[one can't be] all things to all men
i.e. can't please everyone all the time

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Note added at 18 hrs (2023-09-13 08:20:53 GMT)
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[I'm not always obliged to] do my duty [by others]

Is my final.offer on this one!
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Reference comments

1 hr
Reference:

Another example

Though I don't fully understand the Gothic script:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZGAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA375&lpg=P...
Note from asker:
Based on the two published occurrences of this phrase (provided by philgoddard and Björn Vrooman), it seems like the phrase that fits both of those contexts AND my letter from 1940 is something like "give in" or "do what's expected [of you]". So my letter writer could be saying: "I haven’t seen Lina Kanitz since December of last year. I know that it’s not right of me, but I don’t always have to do what’s expected of me. Regrettably, she doesn’t go out, and Aunt Anna visits her from time to time." So maybe she was feeling a little guilty about not paying Lina a visit now and then...
In philgoddard's example, the property owners, whose taxes were being raised could have been saying: "We don't always have to do what's expected of us." And in Björn Vrooman's example: "So drink your Törley (Hungarian champagne) even when you're not on vacation! One doesn't always have to do what's expected."
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree Björn Vrooman : Good find. Another: https://www.google.de/books/edition/Leitmeritzer_Wochenblatt... In essence, "man muss nicht immer kleinbeigeben/sich fügen".
1 hr
agree Anna Wright
2 hrs
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