Deep in the solitude of the forest a grave! a grave!

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by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Tief in Waldeinsamkeit ein Grab! ein...

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Tief in Waldeinsamkeit ein Grab! ein Grab!
Von allen Menschen ferne, ja! recht ferne!
[Da]¹ senkt den müden Sänger bald hinab,
Wann funkeln durchs Gezweig die Abendsterne.

Dann aber geht und laßt das Grab in Ruh'!
Verborgen und vergessen werd' die Stätte!
Efeu und Moos deck' ganz den Hügel zu,
Und nur das wunde Reh find' ihn [zum]² Bette.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• R. Leberl

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Justinus Kerners sämtliche poetische Werke in vier Bänden, herausgegeben von Dr. Josef Gaismaier, 1. Band, Leipzig: Max Hesses Verlag, 1880, page 290.

¹ Leberl: "Dann"
² Leberl: "zu"

Text Authorship:

by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Letzte Bitte", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte, first published 1840 [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 Rudolf Leberl (1884 - 1952), "Letzte Bitte", op. 22 (Zehn Lieder zur Gitarre nach Gedichten von Justinus Kerner) no. 6 (1925), published 2006 [ voice and guitar ], Frankfurt am Main: Laurentius-Musikverlag [sung text checked 1 time]
by Felix von Woyrsch (1860 - 1944), "Tief in Waldeinsamkeit", op. 67 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 8, published 1927 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-09-14
Line count: 8
Word count: 61

Deep in the solitude of the forest a...

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Deep in the solitude of the forest a grave! a grave!
Far from all people, yes! quite far!
There place the tired singer soon into the earth,
When the evening stars are twinkling through the branches.

But then go and leave the grave in peace!
May the spot become hidden and forgotten!
May ivy and moss completely cover the mound,
And [may] only the wounded deer find a bed there.

About the headline (FAQ)

English poem title: "Last plea"
English song title: "Deep in the solitude of the forest"

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 Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Letzte Bitte", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte, first published 1840
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2013-10-14
Line count: 8
Word count: 70