Death the Reaper | There is a reaper who is called Death

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from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Erntelied

(Sung text for setting by F. Mendelssohn)

See base text

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE POR

Es ist ein Schnitter, der heißt Tod,
Hat Gewalt vom höchsten Gott,
Heut wetzt er das Messer,
Es schneid't schon viel besser,
Bald wird er drein schneiden,
Wir müssen nur leiden.
Hüte dich schöns Blümelein! 

Was heut noch grün und frisch da steht,
Wird schon morgen hinweggemäht:
Die edlen Narzissen,
Die Zierden der Wiesen,
Viel schön' Hyazinthen,
Die türkischen Binden.
Hüte dich schöns Blümelein! 

Viel hundert tausend ungezählt,
Das nur unter die Sichel fällt,
Ihr Rosen, ihr Lilien,
Euch wird er austilgen,
Auch die Kaiser-Kronen,
Wird er nicht verschonen.
Hüte dich schöns Blümelein!

Das himmelfarbe Ehrenpreis,
Die Tulpanen gelb und weiß,
Die silbernen Glocken,
Die goldenen Flocken,
Senkt alles zur Erden,
Was wird daraus werden?
Hüte dich schöns Blümelein! 

Ihr hübsch Lavendel, Roßmarein,
Ihr vielfärbige Röselein.
Ihr stolze Schwertlilien,
Ihr krause Basilien,
Ihr zarte Violen,
Man wird euch bald holen.
Hüte dich schöns Blümelein!

Trotz! Tod, komm her, ich fürcht dich nicht,
Trotz, eil daher in einem Schritt.
Werd ich nur verletzet,
So werd ich versetzet
In den himmlischen Garten,
Auf den alle wir warten.
Freu' dich, schönes Blümelein.

Notes
Stanza 1, line 1: in Brahms, but only in WoO 32 no. 21, "der heißt Tod" is changed to "heißt der Tod"
Stanza 4, line 2: in Brahms, but only in WoO 32 no. 21, "gelb und" is omitted.
Stanza 6, line 3: in Brahms, but only in WoO 32 no. 21, "Werd ich nur" is changed to "Werd ich auch"

Composition:

Felix Mendelssohn

Text Authorship:

from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Katholisches Kirchenlied", appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Death the Reaper", copyright © 2007
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Cantique catholique", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
POR Portuguese (Português) (Margarida Moreno) , "Morte ceifeira", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 42
Word count: 195

Death the Reaper

(Sung text translation for setting by F. Mendelssohn)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

There is a reaper who is called Death,
who has power from the highest god;
today he whets his knife
so that it will cut much better.
Soon he will begin to cut
and we can only suffer.
Beware, fair little flower!

What today is yet green and fresh
will be cut down tomorrow:
the noble narcissus,
ornament of the field,
many fair hyacinths,
the Turkish posies...
Beware, fair little flower!

Many hundreds of thousands uncounted
that only fall to the scythe,
you roses, you lilies -
you, too, he will obliterate.
The crown imperials as well
he will not spare.
Beware, fair little flower!

The sky-blue veronica,
the tulips yellow and white,
the silver campanula,
and golden centaury ...
all will sink to the earth -
what will become of them?
Beware, fair little flower!

You lovely lavender, rosemary,
you colorful little roses,
you proud irises,
you ruffled basil,
you delicate violets,
soon you will be called;
Beware, fair little flower!

And yet! Death, come here - I do not fear you,
for all that; hasten here in one step.
Were I only wounded,
I would still be transported
to the celestial Garden
that we all await.
So rejoice, fair little flower.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Katholisches Kirchenlied", appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn
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This text was added to the website: 2007-05-12
Line count: 42
Word count: 199