Der alte Abt
Language: German (Deutsch)
Dort in den [Klostertrümmern]1 geht
Der alte Abt herum.
Sein langer Bart im Winde weht,
Der Rücken ward ihm krumm.
Nicht mit den Augen sieht er mehr,
Er tappt nur mit dem Stab.
Was sucht er doch, was wandert er?
Die Gräber zählt er ab.
Doch, wie er zählt und wie er späht,
Eins fehlt ihm immer noch.
Dann schüttelt er das Haupt und geht,
Kommt morgen wieder doch.
Die eigne Ruhstatt find't er nicht,
Quält sich allnächtlich ab.
Wenn endlich ganz der Bau zerbricht,
Das ist des Treuen Grab.
View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with C. Reinhold, Gedichte, Stuttgart: Carl Mäcken, 1853, page 138.
First published in the periodical Morgenblatt, January 6, 1836 (No. 5).
1 Breidenstein: "Klostermauern"
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Joseph Snowe) , no title
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The old abbot", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2021-04-27
Line count: 16
Word count: 92
The old abbot
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
There [in the monastery ruins]1
The old abbot walks about.
His long beard blows in the wind,
His back has become stooped.
He no longer sees with his eyes,
He only taps with his stick.
What does he seek, why does he wander about?
He is counting the graves.
But however he counts and however he peers,
He is always one grave short yet.
Then he shakes his head and goes,
Yet shall come again tomorrow.
He does not find his own resting place,
And nightly he agonizes.
When the whole edifice has finally broken up utterly,
It will be the grave of the faithful one.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Breidenstein: "among the stone walls of the monastery"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2021-05-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 108
