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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Die Sterbende
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Geläute schallt vom Turm herab,
Es ruft der Tod, es gähnt ein Grab.
Ihr sünd'gen Menschen, zum Gebet!
Ein gleiches Los bevor euch steht.

Im Sterben liegt ein schönes Weib,
Sie weint um ihren jungen Leib,
Sie weint um ihre sünd'ge Lust,
Sie ringt die Hände, sie schlägt ihre Brust.

Es harrt des Ausgangs ihr Gemahl,
Blickt starr und kalt auf ihre Qual;
Sie windet sich in dieser Stund
Zu seinen Füßen, sie öffnet den Mund:

«Vergib mir, Gott, in deiner Huld,
Vergib, Gemahl, mir meine Schuld;
Ich klag es an in bittrer Reu,
Weh mir! ich brach geschworne Treu.» --

«Vertrauen ist Vertrauen wert,
Und machst du mir kund, wie du mich entehrt,
So mach ich dir kund in deiner Not,
Du stirbst am Gift, das ich dir bot.»

Text Authorship:

  • by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Die Sterbende", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte [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 Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich (1850 - 1900), "Die Sterbende", 1872 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The dying woman", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La mourante", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-08-08
Line count: 20
Word count: 129

La mourante
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Une sonnerie résonne du haut du clocher,
La mort appelle, une tombe s'entrebaille..
Vous, les pécheurs, allez à la prière !
Un pareil sort vous attend.

Une belle femme gît sur son lit de mort,
Elle pleure son jeune corps,
Elle pleure ses plaisirs de pécheresse,
Elle se tord les mains, se frappe la poitrine.

Son époux attend l'issue,
Figé et froid il contemple ses tourments ;
En cette heure, elle se tourne
Vers ses pieds, elle ouvre la bouche :

« Pardonne-moi, Dieu, dans ta miséricorde,
Pardonne-moi mes fautes, mon époux, ;
Avec un amer remords, je m'accuse,
Malheur à moi ! D'avoir brisé mon serment de fidélité.

-- La confiance mérite la confiance,
Et si tu m'avais informé de mon déshonneur,
Alors je t'aurais informé de ton infortune,
Tu meurs du poison que je t'ai versé. »

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Die Sterbende", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-24
Line count: 20
Word count: 133

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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