My temples are already grey, and my head has become white

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by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Grau bereits sind meine Schläfen, und...

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Greek (Ελληνικά)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Grau bereits sind meine Schläfen, und das Haupt ist weiß geworden,
Hin, dahin die holde Jugend; schon gealtert sind die Zähne.

Von dem süßen Leben ist mir nur ein Restchen Zeit noch übrig.
Oft mit Tränen dies bejammr' ich, vor dem Tartaros erbebend.

Denn entsetzlich ist des Hades Tiefe, leidvoll seine Straße,
Offen stets der Stieg, hinunter --, nimmermehr herauf zu gehen.

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• H. Eisler • H. Eisler

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Text Authorship:

by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), no title, appears in Griechische Lyrik, in 5. Anakreon Lieder, no. 37 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Anacreon (c582BCE - c485BCE) [text unavailable]
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-18
Line count: 6
Word count: 66

My temples are already grey, and my head...

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

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My temples are already grey, and my head has become white,
Gone, gone my lovely youth; my teeth have already aged.
 
Of my sweet life, only a little scrap of time is still left for me.
Often with tears I bewail this, trembling before Tartarus.
 
For appalling are the depths of Hades, sorrow-laden its street,
Always open is the path by which one descends--, never again to ascend.

Available sung text translations: ← What is this?

• H. Eisler • H. Eisler

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes
Translation of title "Die Unwürde des Alterns" = "The ignominy of aging"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), no title, appears in Griechische Lyrik, in 5. Anakreon Lieder, no. 37
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Anacreon (c582BCE - c485BCE) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general view

This text was added to the website: 2016-09-16
Line count: 6
Word count: 71