Starb das Kindlein.
Ach, die Mutter
Saß am Tag und weinte, weinte,
Saß zur Nacht und weinte.

Da erscheint das Kindlein wieder,
In dem Todtenhemd, so blaß;
Sagt zur Mutter: "Leg' dich nieder!
Sieh, mein Hemdchen
[Wird von deinen]1 lieben Thränen
Gar so naß,
Und ich kann nicht schlafen, Mutter!" -

Und das Kind verschwindet wieder,
Und die Mutter weint nicht mehr.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Huldigung den Frauen. Ein Taschenbuch für das Jahr 1832, ed. by J. F. Castelli, Wien, page 184 ; and with Gedichte von Bauernfeld. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus. 1852, page 98, as shown above.

Note: Bauernfeld's 1852 edition contains the remark "Musik von Schubert." Schubert's setting is lost, however. Schubert received all poems from Bauernfeld in handwritten form.

¹ Randhartinger, and Bauernfeld's 1832 version: "Machen deine"

Text Authorship:

• by Eduard von Bauernfeld (1802 - 1890), "Das Todtenhemdchen" [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 Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Das Totenhemdchen" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Das Totenhemdchen", D 864 (1827?), note: Schubert's setting is lost [sung text not yet checked]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2012-10-19
Line count: 13
Word count: 62