Farewell | What is too happy to live

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by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Was zu glücklich, um zu leben

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Mit Liedern
1
 Was zu glücklich, um zu leben,
 Was zu scheu, um Klang zu geben,
 Was zu lieblich zum Entstehen,
 Was geboren zum Vergehen,
 Was die Monde nimmer bieten,
 Rosen aus verwelkten Blüten,
 Tränen dann aus jungem Leide
 Und ein Klang verlorner Freude.

2
 Du weißt es, alle, die da sterben
 Und die für immer scheiden gehn,
 Die müssen, wär's auch zum Verderben,
 Die Wahrheit ohne Hehl gestehn.

 So leg ich's denn in deine Hände,
 Was immer mir das Herz bewegt;
 Es ist die letzte Blumenspende,
 Auf ein geliebtes Grab gelegt.

M. Bauer sets stanzas 2-3

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Storms Werke, herausgegeben von Theodor Hertel, ertes Band, Mehers Klassiker-Ausgaben, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig und Wien, 1918, page 40.

Text Authorship:

by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888), "Abschied" [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Moritz Bauer (1875 - 1932), "Abschied", published 1899, stanzas 2-3 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder von Th. Storm für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 6, München, Schmid Nachf. [sung text not yet checked]
by Georg Vierling (1820 - 1901), "Du weisst es", op. 13 (Sechs Gedichte für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1856 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Farewell", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Adieux", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2013-06-27
Line count: 19
Word count: 92

Farewell

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

With songs
1
 What is too happy to live,
 What is too timid to give forth sound,
 What is too lovely to have come into existence
 What was born to pass away,

 What the moons never offer,
 Roses from withered blossoms,
 Tears then from young grief
 And a sound of lost joy.

2
 You know it, all who die
 And who go away from us forever,
 They must, even if it were to their doom,
 Acknowledge the truth without concealment.

 Thus I place it it in your hands,
 Everything that moves my heart;
 It is the last gift of flowers
 Laid upon a beloved grave.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888), "Abschied"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2013-12-12
Line count: 19
Word count: 105