On Gutfried's Burial Day | Were I but, like you, being buried!

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by Johannes Martin Miller (1750 - 1814)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

An Gutfrieds Begräbnis Tage

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

   Würd' ich doch, wie du, begraben!
Sänk' ich auch in Todesnacht!
Zärtlichkeit und Jammer haben
Mich dem Grab' auch reif gemacht.
 
   Deine Leiden sind vorüber,
Ausgeweinet hat dein Blick;
Aber trauriger und trüber
Wird mir jeder Augenblick.
 
   Stimmet keine Trauerlieder
Auf des Freundes Hügel an!
Segnet sein Geschick, ihr Brüder!
Er betrat des Lebens Bahn.
 
   Wißt: Der schönste Tag des Lebens
Ist der nächste an der Gruft.
Ach, daß doch mein Wunsch vergebens
Ihn, herbeyzueilen, ruft!

Confirmed with Johann Martin Miller, Siegwart. Eine Klostergeschichte, Faksimiledruck nach der Ausgabe von 1776, mit einem Nachwort von Alain Faure, Zweiter Band, Stuttgart: J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1971, page 649

Text Authorship:

by Johannes Martin Miller (1750 - 1814), "An Gutfrieds Begräbnistage", appears in Siegwart. Eine Klostergeschichte [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 Daniel Gottlob Türk (1750 - 1813), "An Gutfrieds Begräbnis Tage", published 1780 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder und Gedichte aus dem Siegwart, no. 10, Leipzig und Halle, private publication (i.e., financed by the composer) [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "On Gutfried's Burial Day", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2016-06-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 77

On Gutfried's Burial Day

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Were I but, like you, being buried!
If I too were sinking into the night of death!
Tenderness and misery have
Made me ripe for the grave as well.
 
   Your sufferings are over,
Your eyes have wept their last;
But sadder and more gloomy
Every moment becomes for me.
 
   Do not strike up any songs of mourning
Upon the burial mound of my friend!
Bless his lot, ye brethren!
He has set his foot upon the pathway of life.
 
   Know: the most beautiful day of life
Is the one closest to the tomb.
Ah, that my desire calls in vain
For [this day] to come swiftly!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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 Johannes Martin Miller (1750 - 1814), "An Gutfrieds Begräbnistage", appears in Siegwart. Eine Klostergeschichte
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-06-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 107