Mit den vielen andern, Groß und Kleinen

Mit den vielen andern, Groß und Kleinen,
   Klag ich schmerzlich deinen Tod;
Will bei deinem Sarge satt mich weinen
   Und die Augen rot.

Nicht: daß du dich nicht, nach Herzensgnüge,
   An die holde Mutter schmiegst,
Und daß du, statt freundlich in der Wiege,
   Tot im Sarge liegst; --

Hier ist Vorplatz nur, spät oder frühe,
   Gehn wir alle weiter ein,
Und es lohnt sich wahrlich nicht der Mühe
   Lange hier zu sein;

Nicht: daß du des Vaters Glanz hienieden
   Und sein Königreich nicht sahst,
Und daß du die Krone, dir beschieden,
   Nicht getragen hast; --

Ach, die Kronen sind nicht ohne Bürden,
   Sind nicht ohn Gefahren, Kind!
Und es gibt für Menschenkinder Würden,
Die noch größer sind;

Sondern: daß wir hier ein Land bewohnen,
   Wo der Rost das Eisen frißt,
Wo durchhin, um Hütten wie um Thronen,
   Alles brechlich ist;

Wo wir hin aufs Ungewisse wandeln,
   Und in Nacht und Nebel gehn,
Nur nach Wahn und Schein und Täuschung handeln,
   Und das Licht nicht sehn;

Wo im Dunkeln wir uns freun und weinen,
   Und rund um uns, rundumher,
Alles, alles, mag es noch so scheinen,
   Eitel ist und leer.

O du Land des Wesens und der Wahrheit,
   Unvergänglich für und für!
Mich verlangt nach dir und deiner Klarheit;
   Mich verlangt nach dir.

Translation(s): ENG

List of language codes

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship

• by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Als der Sohn unsers Kronprinzen, nach der Geburt, gestorben war" [ author's text checked 1 time]

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

• by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "O du Land", op. 70 no. 12 (1954-5), stanza 9 [medium voice, orchestra], from Nachhall: Liederfolge nach Gedichten von Nikolaus Lenau und Matthias Claudius, no. 12, Wien: Universal Edition [ sung text verified 1 time]
• by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "O du Land", WoO. 109 (1954/55). [voice and piano] [ sung text not verified ]
• by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "O du Land", WoO. 110 (1954/55). [voice and piano] [ sung text not verified ]

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

• ENG English (Peter Palmer) , title 1: "Upon the death of our Crown Prince, directly after his birth", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website: 2007-08-07.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:02:16
Line count: 36
Word count: 210

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project, and I have been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated.      - Emily Ezust

Upon the death of our Crown Prince, directly after his birth

With the many others, great and small,
   I lament your death grievously;
Shall weep copious tears by your coffin
   Until my eyes are red from weeping.

It isn't that you are not contentedly
   Snuggling up to your sweet mother,
And that you lie, not in the cosy cradle
   But dead in the coffin.

This world is but a vestibule, sooner or later
   We all pass on,
And it is truly not worth the trouble
   To be here for long;

Think not that you never saw your father's splendor
   And his kingdom here on earth,
And that you haven't worn the crown
   That was ordained for you; --

Alas, such crowns are not without heaviness,
   Are fraught with dangers, my child!
And there are honors awaiting the children of men
   Which are even greater;

Instead, reflect that we inhabit a country
   Where rust eats into the iron,
Where constantly, with shacks as with thrones,
   Everything perishes;

Where we wander haphazardly,
   And go about in the dark of night,
Acting only from folly and show and delusion,
   And can't see the light;

Where we exult and weep in the dark
   And all about us, all around,
Everything, everything, no matter what it seems,
   Is vain and empty.

O you land of essence and of truth,
   Imperishable for ever and ever!
I long for you and your clarity;
   I long for you.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.

Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 by Peter Palmer, (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 at lieder dot net)
  
  
  

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "Als der Sohn unsers Kronprinzen, nach der Geburt, gestorben war"
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Othmar Schoeck. Go to the text.

Text added to the website: 2009-04-02.
Last modified: 2017-03-01 13:54:59
Line count: 36
Word count: 228