by Rudolf Bach (1901 - 1957)
Translation © by John Glenn Paton

Seelenlos liegt dereinst da
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Greek (Ελληνικά) 
Available translation(s): ENG
Seelenlos liegt dereinst da,
von keinem Gedenken berührt,
keinem sehnenden Wunsch zurückgerufen,
wer hier nicht gesegnet war
vom Rosengeiste der Musen;
ruhmlos fliegt er nieder in Hades Haus
und irrt mit dem Schwarme
der blicklosen Toten
blicklos dort unten um.
Doch nimmer klingt ein Klagelied zu Recht im Haus,
darin die Musen gelten, nicht geziemt uns dies.
Um Schönes kreist mein Sinnen stets, unwandelbar.
So wird man mein gedenken noch in später Zeit.

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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-08-03
Line count: 13
Word count: 73

Soon he will lie there, soulless
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Soon he will lie there, soulless,
not stirred by any thought,
not called back by any burning wish,
he who was not blessed in this life
by the rose-spirit of the Muses.
Unpraised, he flies down to the realm of Hades
and wanders around among the swarm
of the sightless dead,
also sightless down there.
But it is never right to sound out a song of mourning in the house
in which the Muses are honored– that is not fitting for us.
My thinking is always dwelling on the Beautiful, steadfastly.
That is how people will remember me still in distant time.

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  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 by John Glenn Paton, (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: 2017-08-03
Line count: 13
Word count: 102