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
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
In des Todes Feierstunde1 Senke, heilige Kamöne, Noch einmal die stillen Lieder, Noch einmal die [süßen]2 Töne Auf die tiefe Abschiedswunde Meines Busens heilend nieder, Hebe aus [den]3 ird'schen Ringen Die bedrängte reine Seele, Trage sie auf deinen Schwingen: Daß sie sich dem Licht vermähle. - O da werden mich die Klänge [Traut]4 und wonnevoll umwehen, Und die Ketten, die ich sprenge, Werden still und leicht vergehen. Alles Große werd' ich sehen, Das im Leben mich beglückte, Alles Schöne, das mir blühte, Wird verherrlicht vor mir stehen. Jeden Stern, der mir erglühte, Der mit freundlichem Gefunkel Durch das [hoffnungslose]5 Dunkel Meines kurzen Weges blickte, Jede Blume, die ihn schmückte, Werden mir die Töne bringen; Und die schrecklichen Minuten, Wo ich schmerzlich könnte bluten, Werden mich mit Lust umklingen; Und Verklärung werd' ich sehen Ausgegossen über allen Dingen. So in Wonne werd' ich untergehen, Süß verschlungen von der Freude Fluthen.
Confirmed with Gedichte von Franz von Schober. Stuttgart und Tübingen. J. G. Cotta'scher Verlag. 1842, pages 70-71; and with Gedichte von Franz von Schober. Zweite, vermehrte Auflage. Leipzig Verlagsbuchhandlung von J. J. Weber. 1865, pages 85-86.
Note: Schubert received all the poems from Schober in handwritten form. A (possibly later) autograph of this poem is kept in the Vienna City Library. The lines added by Schubert in the first footnote below appear in Schober's manuscript, but were crossed out.
1 Schubert adds "Wenn ich einst von hinnen scheide,/ Und den Kampf, den letzten, leide,"2 Schubert: "reinen"
3 Schober (1865 edition), Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe): "dem"
4 Schubert: "Süß"
5 Schober (Manuscript), Schubert: "grauenvolle"
Text Authorship:
- by Franz Adolf Friedrich von Schober (1796 - 1882), "Todesmusik" [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Todesmusik", op. 108 (Drei Lieder) no. 2, D 758 (1822), published 1829 [ voice, piano ], M. J. Leidesdorf, VN 1102, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix Wolfes (1892 - 1971), "Todesmusik", 1960 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Música de morts", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Doodsmuziek", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Death music", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Musique funèbre", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 31
Word count: 153
In death’s solemn hour,1 Cover me, holy Naiad, Once more with quiet songs, Once more with [sweet]2 tones [And] from the deep wounds of parting In my breast, heal me. Lift from this earthly struggle My anguished, pure soul, Carry it on your wings, That it may wed the light. Oh then will I, with sounds Both [safe]3 and blissful, be soothed, And the chains that I'll burst Will disappear in silence and light. All the wonders will I see That in life gave me joy, Everything beautiful that happened to me Will stand glorified before me. Every star that burned for me, That with its friendly twinkling, Through the [hopeless]4 darkness, Brightened my short time on earth, [and] Every flower that I adorned myself with, Will produce musical tones. And those terrible minutes, During which I could have paid dearly, Will ring around me with pleasure, And I shall see transfiguration Poured out over all things. So in bliss will I sink down, Sweetly engulfed by floods of joy.
Translator's note for stanza 2, line 14 ("musical tones") : this has an excited quality, as "Hast du Töne!" can also mean "Did you ever!"
1 Schubert adds:When I one day, from here, am separated, And undergo my last battle,2 Schubert: "pure"
3 Schubert: "sweet"
4 Schubert: "atrocious"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (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 Franz Adolf Friedrich von Schober (1796 - 1882), "Todesmusik"
This text was added to the website: 2016-04-10
Line count: 31
Word count: 174