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by Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (1715 - 1769)
Translation © by Lau Kanen

Vom Tode
 (Sung text for setting by C. Bach)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Meine Lebenszeit verstreicht,
Stündlich eil ich zu dem Grabe,
Und was ist's, das ich vielleicht,
Das ich noch zu leben habe?
Denk, o Mensch, an deinen Tod!
Säume nicht, denn Eins ist Not!

Lebe, wie du, wenn du stirbst,
Wünschen wirst, gelebt zu haben
Güter, die du hier erwirbst,
Würden, die dir Menschen gaben;
Nichts wird dich im Tod erfreun;
Diese Güter sind nicht dein.

Nur ein Herz, das Gutes liebt, 
Nur ein ruhiges Gewissen, 
Das vor Gott dir Zeugnis gibt,
Wird dir deinen Tod versüßen; 
Dieses Herz, von Gott erneut, 
Ist des Todes Freudigkeit.

Wenn in deiner letzten Not
Freunde hülflos um dich beben:
Dann wird über Welt und Tod
Dich dies reine Herz erheben;
Dann erschreckt dich kein Gericht;
Gott ist deine Zuversicht.

 ... 

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-4 of the original text.

Mimicked by Daumer in the first stanza of his free translation from Hafis, Meine Lebenszeit verstreicht.

Composition:

    Set to music by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 - 1788), "Vom Tode", Wq 194 no. 37, stanzas 1-4 [ voice and harpsichord or piano ], from Geistliche Oden und Lieder mit Melodien: Gellert Oden, no. 37

Text Authorship:

  • by Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (1715 - 1769)

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Jordi López Jové) , "Sobre la mort", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Over de dood", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "On Death", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Angelika Frenzel) , "De la Mort", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Della morte", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Vinzenz Haab

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 42
Word count: 225

Over de dood
 (Sung text translation for setting by C. Bach)
 See original
Language: Dutch (Nederlands)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Zie, mijn levenstijd verstrijkt,
IJlings word ‘k naar ’t graf gedreven,
En wat straks, als moog'lijk blijkt,
Dat 'k niet lang meer heb te leven?
Denk o mens, denk aan je dood!
Stel niet uit, besef de nood!

Leef zoals, wanneer je sterft,
Je beslist had willen leven.
Goed’ren die je hier verwerft,
Ambten je door ’t volk gegeven,
Niets geeft in de dood profijt:
Deze goed’ren ben je kwijt.

Slechts een hart dat houdt van deugd,
Slechts een kalm besef van plichten,
Dat voor God van je getuigt,
Zal je straks de dood verlichten;
Zo 'n nieuw hart, door God bereid,
Geeft de dood aanvaardbaarheid.

Als straks in je laatste nood
Vrienden hulploos staan te beven,
Word je boven aard’ en dood
Door dit zuiv’re hart verheven.
Geen gericht je angst aanjaagt,
Want God is je toeverlaat.

 ... 

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-4 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2014 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.

    Lau Kanen.  Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com


    If the copyright-holder(s) are unreachable for three business days, please write to: licenses@email.lieder.example.net


Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (1715 - 1769)
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2014-08-04
Line count: 42
Word count: 255

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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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