That which we see changes

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by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Es wandelt, was wir schauen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Es wandelt, was wir schauen,
Tag sinkt in's Abendrot,
Die Lust hat eig'nes Grauen,
Und alles hat den Tod.

In's Leben schleicht das Leiden
Sich heimlich wie ein Dieb,
Wir alle müssen scheiden
Von allem, was uns lieb.

Was gäb' es doch auf Erden,
Wer hielt' den Jammer aus,
Wer möcht' geboren werden,
Hielt'st Du nicht droben Haus!

Du bist's, der, was wir bauen,
Mild über uns zerbricht,
Daß wir den Himmel schauen --
Darum so klag' ich nicht.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• A. Berg • E. Smyth

A. Berg sets stanzas 1-2
E. Smyth sets stanzas 1-2

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Confirmed with Joseph von Eichendorff, Sämtliche Gedichte und Versepen, Frankfurt am Main und Leipzig: Insel Verlag, 2001, page 291.

Text Authorship:

by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), no title, appears in Gedichte, in 6. Geistliche Gedichte, in Der Umkehrende, no. 4 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 79

That which we see changes

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Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

That which we see changes,
Day sinks into the evening glow,
Joy contains its own horror,
And everything is destined to death.

Suffering creeps into life,
Secretly like a thief,
We must all part
From everything that we hold dear.

What would there be on earth,
Who could stand the misery,
Who would want to be born,
If Thou didst not manage everything from on high!

Thou art the one who gently over us
Breaks that which we build,
So that we may behold Heaven --
Therefore I do not complain.

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Translations of title(s):
"Ergebung" = "Submission"
"Es wandelt, was wir schauen" = "That which we see changes"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), no title, appears in Gedichte, in 6. Geistliche Gedichte, in Der Umkehrende, no. 4
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This text was added to the website: 2024-07-19
Line count: 16
Word count: 91