Lebens‑Philosophie
See originalLanguage: German (Deutsch)
Tage fliehen, Jahre rollen
Schnell zur Ewigkeit hinab!
Eh' wir wissen, was wir wollen,
Öffnet sich für uns das Grab!
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Oft erträumen wir uns Freuden
Einer fernen Wonnezeit;
Sie erscheint, ihr folgt das Leiden
Der verlornen Seligkeit.
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Ja, von unsern schönsten Tagen,
Ernten wir oft herbe Pein!
Froh genossen, leicht getragen
Will das kurze Leben seyn.
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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".
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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!
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In youth we dream up joys
Of a distant time of bliss;
The time appears, it is followed by the suffering
Of lost merriment.
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Yes, from our most beautiful days
We often harvest bitter pain!
Happily enjoyed, lightly borne
That is how our short life wishes to be.
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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. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2014-01-03
Line count: 38
Word count: 187
