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Die bretterne Kammer Der Todten erbebt, Wenn zwölfmal den Hammer Die Mitternacht hebt. Rasch tanzen um Gräber Und morsches Gebein Wir luftigen Schweber Den sausenden Reihn. Was winseln die Hunde Beim schlafenden Herrn? Sie wittern die Runde Der Geister [von]1 fern. Die Raben entflattern Der wüsten Abtei, Und fliehn [an]2 den Gattern Des Kirchhofs vorbei. Wir gaukeln, [wir]3 scherzen Hinab und empor, Gleich irrenden Kerzen Im dunstigen Moor. O Herz! dessen Zauber Zur Marter uns ward, Du ruhst nun, in tauber Verdumpfung, erstarrt. Tief bargst du im düstern Gemach unser Weh; Wir Glücklichen flüstern Dir fröhlich: Ade!
J. Lang sets stanzas 1-5, 7
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Friedrich von Matthisson. Zweiter Theil. Tübingen, bei Cotta, 1811, pages 104-105, and with Schriften von Friedrich von Matthisson, Volume 1, third edition, Zürich: Orell, Füßli und Compagnie, 1825, pages 222-223. The poem is preceded by the following epigraph:
Pulvis et umbra sumus.
Hor.
1 Lang: "so"2 Lang: "vor"
3 Lang, Schubert (D.116): "und"
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Der Geistertanz", written 1797-98 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Joseph Fischhof (1804 - 1857), "Der Geistertanz", op. 39 (Zwei Gesänge für Bassstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1841 [ bass and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Geistertanz", op. 5 (Vier deutsche Lieder) no. 4, published 1834, stanzas 1-5,7 [ voice and piano ], note: first published without an opus number; designated in 1867 as opus 5; München: Falter und Sohn [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Geistertanz", D 15 (c1812), published 1895 [ voice, piano ], first setting; fragment (stanzas 1,2 and 5; breaks off after line 2 of stanza 5) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Geistertanz", D 15A (c1812), published 1895 [ voice, piano ], second setting; fragment (breaks off after stanza 3) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Geistertanz", D 116 (1814), published 1840 [ voice, piano ], third setting; A. Diabelli & Co., VN 6940, Wien (Nachlaß-Lieferung 31) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Geistertanz", D 494 (1816), published 1871, first performed 1863 [ vocal quintet ], fourth setting; J. P. Gotthard, VN 160, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Antonio Zencovich) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 97
La cambra de taulons de fusta dels morts tremola, quan mitjanit aixeca el martell dotze vegades. Rabents, dansem a l'entorn de les tombes i dels ossos corcats, nosaltres, els que suren a l'aire, en una rotllana brunzent. Per què udolen els gossos al costat de llurs amos que dormen? Ells flairen de lluny el cercle dels esperits. Els corbs s'envolen de l'abadia abandonada i fugen passant per les reixes del cementiri. Voletegem, fent gatzara, amunt i avall, com ciris errants en un aiguamoll bromós. Oh cor! El teu encant fou el nostre martiri, tu ara reposes rígid en una sorda letargia. Profundament, amagares dins la lúgubre cambra el nostre dolor; nosaltres, feliços, et xiuxiuegem alegrament: Adéu!
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Geistertanz" = "Dansa dels esperits"
"Der Geistertanz" = "La dansa dels esperits"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2017 by Salvador Pila, (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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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Der Geistertanz", written 1797-98
This text was added to the website: 2017-12-28
Line count: 28
Word count: 116