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by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Laß ruh'n die Toten
 (Sung text for setting by R. Strauss)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Es steht ein altes Gemäuer
Hervor aus Waldesnacht,
Wohl standen Klöster und Burgen
Einst dort in herrlicher Pracht.
 
Es liegen im kühlen Grunde
Behauene Steine gereiht;
Dort schlummern die Frauen, die Starken,
Die Mächt'gen der alten Zeit.
 
Was kommst du  ...  nächtlicher Weile
Durchwühlen das alte Gestein?
Und fordest hervor aus den Gräbern --
Nur Staub und Totengebein.
 
Unmächtger Sohn der Stunde,
Das ist der Zeiten Lauf,
Laß ruhn, laß ruhn die Toten,
Du weckst sie mit Klagen nicht auf.

Composition:

    Set to music by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Laß ruh'n die Toten", WoO. 35 (1877) [ voice, piano ], from Jugendlieder

Text Authorship:

  • by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Laß ruhn die Toten", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Deixeu reposar els morts", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Let the dead rest", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Laisse reposer les morts", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 84

Laisse reposer les morts
 (Sung text translation for setting by R. Strauss)
 See original
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Une vieille muraille émerge
De la nuit de la forêt,
Jadis cloîtres et châteaux
Se dressaient là dans une magnifique splendeur.

Il y a sur le sol froid
Des pierres de taille alignées ;
Là sommeillent les femmes, les forts,
Les puissants des temps anciens.

Pourquoi viens-tu à la nuit
Fouiller dans les vieilles pierres ?
Et n'extraire des tombes
Que poussière et ossements.

Impuissant fils du temps,
C'est la course des jours,
Laisse reposer, laisse reposer les morts,
Tu ne les réveilleras pas avec tes plaintes.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2008 by Pierre Mathé, (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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Laß ruhn die Toten", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2008-11-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 85

Gentle Reminder

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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