Des Lebens Tag ist schwer und schwül
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Des Lebens Tag ist schwer und schwül;
Des Todes Odem leicht und kühl:
Er wehet freundlich uns hinab,
Wie welkes Laub ins stille Grab.
Es scheint der Mond, es fällt der Thau,
Aufs Grab, wie auf die Blumenau;
Auch fällt der Freunde Thrän' hinein,
Erhellt von sanfter Hoffnung Schein.
Uns sammlet alle, Klein und Groß,
Die Muttererd' in ihren Schooß.
O sähn wir ihr ins Angesicht;
Wir scheuten ihren Busen nicht!
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• F. Schubert About the headline (FAQ)
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Confirmed with Musen Almanach für 1782 Herausgegeben von Voß und Goeking. Hamburg bey Carl Ernst Bohn, page 11; with Gedichte der Brüder Ch. und F. L. Grafen zu Stolberg. Zweyter Theil. Neueste Auflage. Wien 1817. Bey B. Ph. Bauer, pages 34-35; and with Gedichte der Brüder Christian und Friedrich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg. Erster Theil. Wien, 1821. Im Verlage bei J.B. Wallishausser. Hamburg, bei Perthes und Besser, page 265.
Text Authorship:
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Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 75
Life’s day is heavy and sultry
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Life’s day is heavy and sultry,
Death's breath is light and cool,
Wafting affably down to us,
As onto wilted leaves in the silent grave.
The moon shines, dew settles
On the grave as on the flowering meadow;
Even so fall friend’s tears,
Sparkling with gentle hope.
She gathers us all up, small and great,
Mother Earth, into her lap.
Oh, if we would just look her in the face,
We would not fear to rest in her bosom!
About the headline (FAQ)
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Translation of title "Die Mutter Erde" = "Mother Earth"
Translator's note for stanza 1, line 2 ("Death's breath") refers to the "breath of life" but in Schubert it is "breath of air"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by Laura Stanfield Prichard, (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:
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This text was added to the website: 2015-12-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 80
