by Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)
Translation by Otto Hauser (1876 - 1944)

Tread lightly, she is near
Language: English 
Tread lightly, she is near
Under the snow,
Speak gently, she can hear
The daisies grow.

All her bright golden hair
Tarnished with rust,
She that was young and fair
Fallen to dust.

Lily-like, white as snow,
She hardly knew
She was a woman so
Sweetly she grew.

Coffin-board, heavy stone,
Lie on her breast.
I vex my heart alone,
She is at rest.

Peace, Peace, she cannot hear
Lyre or sonnet,
All my life's buried here,
Heap earth upon it.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), "Requiescat", from Poems, first published 1881

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 81

Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Our translations:  FRE
Still, daß sie es nicht hört,
Leise hier geh!
Wachsen das Masslieb hört
Sie unterm Schnee.

All ihr Haar hell wie Gold
Des Moders Raub,
Sie, die so jung und hold
Sank in den Staub.

Weiss wie Schnee, lilienklar,
Wusste sie kaum,
Daß sie ein Mägdlein war,
Wuchs wie im Traum.

Sarg nun und schwerer Stein
Lasten auf ihr;
Ich quäl'mein Herz allein,
Sie schlummert hier.

Frieden! Nicht Lautenschall
Hört sie noch Lieder;
Hier ruht mein Leben all
Werft Erde nieder!

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Text Authorship:

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Qu'elle repose", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2003-12-22
Line count: 20
Word count: 84