At the close of the year | The year's chalices are draining!

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by Ernst Zahn (1867 - 1952)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Am Jahresschluß

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Des Jahres Becher werden leer!
Ein Stündlein -- und kein Tropfen mehr
   Blieb stehn in den Pokalen!
Sie bargen manchen guten Zug!
Nun, schweigsam Schicksal, nimm den Krug
   Und füll sie abermalen!

Und füll sie mit demselben Saft
Heut süßer, morgen bittrer Kraft,
   Den Glück und Sorgen mischen!
Und trank sich müde mancher Mund,
Der Zecher stehen noch zur Stund'
   Genug an deinen Tischen!

Füll ein, füll ein, voll bis zum Rand! --
Zagt dieser, zittert dem die Hand,
   Ich nehm den Trank in Treuen!
So oft schon schwang ich den Pokal
Und leert' ihn froh. Und noch einmal
   Soll mich der Zug nicht reuen!

Voll bis zum Rand! Füll ein, füll ein! --
Und sollt' ins Glas geflossen sein
   Ein Tröpflein Tod am Ende,
Wohlan, mein Becher, komm herzu!
Und sei gegrüßt, gegrüßt auch du,
   Du letzte Jahreswende!

Confirmed with Gedichte von Ernst Zahn, Stuttgart & Leipzig: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1910, page 70.

Text Authorship:

by Ernst Zahn (1867 - 1952), "Am Jahresschluß" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Friedrich Niggli (1875 - 1959), "Am Jahresschluß", op. 12 (Drei Lieder) no. 3 [ men's chorus ], dedicated to the "Berner Singstudenten" [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "At the close of the year", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Andreas Marti

This text was added to the website: 2008-11-20
Line count: 24
Word count: 136

At the close of the year

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The year's chalices are draining!
A little hour -- and then not a drop more
   Remains in the goblets!
They contained many a good swig!
Now, silent fate, take up your tankard
   And fill the goblets again!

And fill them with the same draught,
Sweeter today, tomorrow of more bitter power,
   [The draught] that mingles fortune and anxieties!
And if some lips drank themselves weary,
At this hour there are still plenty of revellers
   Standing at your tables!

Fill them up, fill them up, full to the rim! --
Should this one hesitate, should that one's hand tremble,
   I accept the drink in faithfulness!
Often already I raised the goblet with a flourish
And drained it gladly.  And once again
   I shall not rue the draught!

Full to the rim! Fill them up, fill them up! --
And should there have flowed into the glass
   A droplet of death at the end,
Now then, my goblet, I take you up!
And be greeted, greeted you too,
   You last turning of the year!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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 Ernst Zahn (1867 - 1952), "Am Jahresschluß"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-01-03
Line count: 24
Word count: 169