The finest death | The finest death on God’s earth

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by Walter Grosse

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der schönste Tod

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Der schönste Tod auf Gottes Welt,
ist Sterben auf des Kampfes Feld
wohl auf der grünenden Heide.
Grüß Kamerad mir mein Mägdlein traut,
sie war eines ehrlichen Reiters Braut.
Ja Lieben bringt Freude und Leide!

Ein schlichtes Kreuz nur weist die Statt,
wo man in die Erde gesenket hat,
den Reiter mit seinem Degen.
Feldblumen und Heidkraut sprießen empor,
Heidrosen tun einen duftenden Flor
wohl über den Grabhügel legen!

Und kommt einst vorüber ein reisiger Mann,
so hält er geschwinde sein Rößlein an,
um barhaupt gen Himmel zu bitten:
Hier liegt begraben ein Reitersmann brav.
Gott schenke ihm einen seligen Schlaf,
denn er hat wacker gestritten.

Text Authorship:

by Walter Grosse [author's text not yet checked 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 Kurt Bock , "Der schönste Tod", op. 16 [ men's chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Hans Heinrich XIV, Graf Bolko von Hochberg (1843 - 1926), "Der schönste Tod", published 1903 [ voice and piano ], in the collection Im Volkston: moderne Volkslieder komponiert für Die Woche, Druck und Verlag von August Scherl G.m.b.H. Berlin [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The finest death", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Harry Joelson

This text was added to the website: 2012-02-22
Line count: 18
Word count: 106

The finest death

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The finest death on God’s earth
Is dying upon the battlefield
Upon the green heath.
Comrade, greet my dear girl,
She was the bride of an honest horseman.
Yes, loving brings happiness and sorrow!

Only a simple cross shows the place
Where one lowered into the earth
The rider with his sabre.
Field flowers and heather sprout up,
Wild roses spread a scented carpet
Over the mound of the grave!

And if someday a horseman passes,
He shall quickly halt his horse
In order to pray to Heaven, bare-headed:
Here lies a brave horseman.
May God grant him a blessed sleep,
For he fought valiantly.

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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Walter Grosse
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2021-06-28
Line count: 18
Word count: 105