At last the gates are open,
At last the cool grave is beckoning,
And after long fears and hope
Night is now bending me down.
I have now stayed awake through the days
Of my life. Sweet rest,
After complaints that have cried themselves out, is pressing
Onto my tired eyelids.

Eyes, close! Ray of sunlight,
Do not wake up the sleeper again.
His timer has run down.
The source of his strength has dried up.
His cupboards have now been emptied out,
His battle has been fought.
Look, the Earth's pillars are shaking,
Look, the world is boiling up like steam.

My eyesight is becoming dark and clouded
My ear is deaf, and my heart is rigid;
Love no longer beats within it,
Pain no longer stirs within it.
Loved out, suffered out,
That is what I have done, and suffering
Rages around no longer, and cut off,
My grapes dry up, my juice is frozen.

Open up your shadowy gates,
Open them up now, angel of death!
I want to spend a long time, a long time there
With you resting in that chamber.
Sweet, noiseless, cool and calm
Is how it will be in your chamber.
Oh, so hurry up, devoted one, cover
Me up in your sleeping garment.

You who have looked at me so eagerly and lovingly,
Moon and sun, farewell!
You who bedewed me with sweet melancholy,
Red skies of morning and evening, farewell!
Farewell, you green fields,
You valley of a thousand beauties,
Gloomy, solemn forests,
Rivers and hills, all of you!

Those of you who embraced me tenderly,
Who shared good and bad times with me,
Who battled with me, who struggled with me,
Farewell, friends, farewell!
You who created my dust
And who is today taking it back into your womb,
Mother Earth, calling it back,
Cover it gently and without disturbance!

The night is not going to last for ever,
This sleep is not going to last for ever.
Behind each terrifying grave
An inextinguishable light will dawn.
But until that light shines on me,
Until a more beautiful day laughs on me,
I shall sink peacefully into the dark,
Calm, cool night of sleep.