by Elisa (Elisabeth) Charlotte Konstantia von der Recke (1756 - 1833)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Lebens‑Philosophie
 (Sung text for setting by J. Knecht)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Tage fliehen, Jahre rollen
Schnell zur Ewigkeit hinab!
Eh' wir wissen, was wir wollen,
Öffnet sich für uns das Grab!
 ... 

 ... 
Oft erträumen wir uns Freuden
Einer fernen Wonnezeit;
Sie erscheint, ihr folgt das Leiden
Der verlornen Seligkeit.
 ... 

Ja, von unsern schönsten Tagen,
Ernten wir oft herbe Pein!
Froh genossen, leicht getragen
Will das kurze Leben seyn.
 ... 

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1 (lines 1-4), 2 (lines 5-8), 3 (lines 1-4) of the original text.

Confirmed wtih Gedichte der Frau Elisa von der Recke, gebornen Reichsgräfin von Medem, herausgegeben von C.A. Tiedge, Halle: in der Rengerschen Buchhandlung, 1806, pages 138-140.

Note: in many older editions, the spelling of the capitalized word "öffnet" becomes "Oeffnet", but this is often due to the printing process and not to rules of orthography; so since the lower-case version is not "oeffnet", we use "Öffnet".

Composition:

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2014-01-03
Line count: 38
Word count: 170

Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The days fly by, the years roll
Quickly down into eternity!
Before we know what we want,
The grave opens for us!
 ... 

 ... 
In youth we dream up joys
Of a distant time of bliss;
The time appears, it is followed by the suffering
Of lost merriment.
 ... 

Yes, from our most beautiful days
We often harvest bitter pain!
Happily enjoyed, lightly borne
That is how our short life wishes to be.
 ... 

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1 (lines 1-4), 2 (lines 5-8), 3 (lines 1-4) of the original text.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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.


Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2014-01-03
Line count: 38
Word count: 187