von allem Guten haben

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

13:30 Sep 12, 2023

German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

German term or phrase: von allem Guten haben

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?

Timoshka KudoZ activity Questions: 430 (3 open) (13 without valid answers) (13 closed without grading) Answers: 12
Local time: 19:03

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

Explanation:
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.'

Selected response from:

Adrian MM.
Austria

Grading 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.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

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

Adrian MM.

To have everything come up trumps all the time

Andrew Bramhall

'to have everything turn out fine'

Charles Rose

to expect too much

AllegroTrans

[can't be] forever owing/returning favours

Anna Wright

Summary of reference entries provided

Another example

philgoddard

Answers

1 hr confidence:

To have everything come up trumps all the time

Explanation:
" 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.

Andrew Bramhall
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:03
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

3 hrs confidence:

'to have everything turn out fine'

Explanation:
"“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].”

Charles Rose
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:03
Native speaker of:

English

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

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

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+gu...
Reference: http://www.sefaria.org/Rav_Hirsch_on_Torah%2C_Leviticus.1.5....

Adrian MM.
Austria
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 24

Grading 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.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

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.

5 hrs confidence:

to expect too much

Explanation:
She's saying that quite a few things are turning out well, but she doesn't want to expect or hope for too much

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 31

2 hrs confidence:

[muß nicht] von allem Guten haben [can't be] forever owing/returning favours

Explanation:
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!

Anna Wright
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:03
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Reference comments

1 hr peer agreement (net): +2

Reference: Another example

Reference information:
Though I don't fully understand the Gothic script:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZGAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA375&lpg=P...

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 44

Note to reference poster

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...

Asker: 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."

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von allem Guten haben

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

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von allem Guten haben

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

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