Der Geistertanz | Die bretterne Kammer

by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831)

Die bretterne Kammer

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA

Die bretterne Kammer
   Der Todten erbebt,
Wenn zwölfmal den Hammer
   Die Mitternacht hebt.
 
Rasch tanzen um Gräber
   Und morsches Gebein
Wir luftigen Schweber
   Den sausenden Reihn.
 
Was winseln die Hunde
   Beim schlafenden Herrn?
Sie wittern die Runde
   Der Geister [von]¹ fern.
 
Die Raben entflattern
   Der wüsten Abtei,
Und fliehn [an]² den Gattern
   Des Kirchhofs vorbei.
 
Wir gaukeln, [wir]³ scherzen
   Hinab und empor,
Gleich irrenden Kerzen
   Im dunstigen Moor.
 
O Herz! dessen Zauber
   Zur Marter uns ward,
Du ruhst nun, in tauber
   Verdumpfung, erstarrt.
 
Tief bargst du im düstern
   Gemach unser Weh;
Wir Glücklichen flüstern
   Dir fröhlich: Ade!

J. Lang sets stanzas 1-5, 7

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Friedrich von Matthisson. Zweiter Theil. Tübingen, bei Cotta, 1811, pages 104-105, and with Schriften von Friedrich von Matthisson, Volume 1, third edition, Zürich: Orell, Füßli und Compagnie, 1825, pages 222-223. The poem is preceded by the following epigraph:

Pulvis et umbra sumus.
                     Hor.

¹ Lang: "so"
² Lang: "vor"
³ Lang, Schubert (D.116): "und"

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Der Geistertanz", written 1797-98 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Joseph Fischhof (1804 - 1857), "Der Geistertanz", op. 39 (Zwei Gesänge für Bassstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1841 [ bass and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Geistertanz", op. 5 (Vier deutsche Lieder) no. 4, published 1834, stanzas 1-5,7 [ voice and piano ], note: first published without an opus number; designated in 1867 as opus 5; München: Falter und Sohn [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Geistertanz", D 15 (c1812), published 1895 [ voice, piano ], first setting; fragment (stanzas 1,2 and 5; breaks off after line 2 of stanza 5) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Geistertanz", D 15A (c1812), published 1895 [ voice, piano ], second setting; fragment (breaks off after stanza 3) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Geistertanz", D 116 (1814), published 1840 [ voice, piano ], third setting; A. Diabelli & Co., VN 6940, Wien (Nachlaß-Lieferung 31) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Geistertanz", D 494 (1816), published 1871, first performed 1863 [ vocal quintet ], fourth setting; J. P. Gotthard, VN 160, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

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

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 97