O mortal folk, you may behold and see
How I lie here, sometime a mighty knight;
The end of joy and all prosperitee
Is death at last, thorough his course and might:
After the day there cometh the dark night,
For though the daye be never so long,
At last the bells ringeth to evensong.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Stephen Hawes (d. 1523), "An epitaph" [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 Gordon Crosse (b. 1937), "Epitaph: O mortal folk, you may behold and see", op. 17 no. 7 (1966), published 1967, first performed 1966 [ soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, and orchestra ], from Changes - A Nocturnal Cycle, no. 7, London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Richard Flatter) , "Ein Epitaph", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-05
Line count: 7
Word count: 55
O sterblich Volk! Hier mögt ihr stehn und sehn: Schaut, wie ich ruh, ein Ritter einst voll Pracht! Wenn Glück und Lust, wenn alle Freuden gehn, Tod macht den Schluß, das ist sein Gang und Macht. Hinter dem Tag hebt sich die dunkle Nacht: Denn kein Tag ist, währt er auch lang, Die Glocke läutet ihm den Abendsang.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten Übersetzt von Richard Flatter, Walter Krieg Verlag, Wien-Bad Bocklet-Zürich, 1954, 2nd edition (1st edition 1936), page 16.
Text Authorship:
- by Richard Flatter (1891 - 1960), "Ein Epitaph", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Stephen Hawes (d. 1523), "An epitaph"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Volkmar Henschel
This text was added to the website: 2021-02-23
Line count: 7
Word count: 58