Life’s day is heavy and sultry

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by Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg (1750 - 1819)

Translation © by Laura Stanfield Prichard

Die Mutter Erde

(Sung text for setting by F. Schubert)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA

Des Lebens Tag ist schwer und schwül;
Des Todes Athem leicht und kühl:
Er wehet freundlich uns hinab,
Wie welkes Laub ins stille Grab.

Es scheint der Mond, es fällt der Thau,
Aufs Grab, wie auf die Blumenau;
Auch fällt der Freunde Thrän' hinein,
Erhellt von sanfter Hoffnung Schein.

Uns sammelt alle, Klein und Groß,
Die Muttererd' in ihren Schooß.
O sähn wir ihr ins Angesicht;
Wir scheuten ihren Busen nicht!

Composition:

Franz Peter Schubert

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg (1750 - 1819), "Lied", written 1780, first published 1782

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Moeder Aarde", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La mère Terre", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il giorno della vita ci opprime pesante", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 75

Mother Earth

(Sung text translation for setting by F. Schubert)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Life’s day is heavy and sultry,
Death's breath is light and cool,
Wafting affably down to us,
As onto wilted leaves in the silent grave.

The moon shines, dew settles
On the grave as on the flowering meadow;
Also fall friend’s tears,
Sparkling with gentle hope.

She gathers us all up, small and great,
Mother Earth, into her lap.
Oh, if we would just look her in the face,
We would not fear to rest in her bosom!

Translator's note for stanza 1, line 2 ("Death's breath") refers to the "breath of life" but in Schubert it is "breath of air"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by Laura Stanfield 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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg (1750 - 1819), "Lied", written 1780, first published 1782
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This text was added to the website: 2015-12-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 80