Doch vor dem Apostel Thomas, der
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: ENG FRE ITA
Doch vor dem Apostel Thomas, der
kam, da es zu spät war, trat der schnelle
längst darauf gefaßte Engel her
und befahl an der Begräbnisstelle:
Dräng den Stein beiseite. Willst du wissen,
wo die ist, die dir das Herz bewegt:
Sieh: sie ward wie ein Lavendelkissen
eine Weile da hineingelegt,
daß die Erde künftig nach ihr rieche
in den Falten wie ein feines Tuch.
Alles Tote (fühlst du), alles Sieche
ist betäubt von ihrem Wohl-Geruch.
Schau den Leinwand: wo ist eine Bleiche,
wo er blendend wird und geht nicht ein?
Dieses Licht aus dieser reinen Leiche
war ihm klärender als Sonnenschein.
Staunst du nicht, wie sanft sie ihm entging?
Fast als wär sie's noch, nichts ist verschoben.
Doch die Himmel sind erschüttert oben:
Mann, knie hin und sieh mir nach und sing.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963), "Vom Tode Mariä III", op. 27 no. 15 (1922-3), rev. 1948, from Das Marienleben, no. 15 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Siegfried Garibaldi Kallenberg (1867 - 1944), "Doch vor dem Apostel Thomas", 1929 [ alto, 2 violins, viola, violoncello and double bass ], from 6 Gesänge aus dem Marienleben von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "From the Death of Mary", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Sur la mort de Marie III", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Morte di Maria III", copyright © 2009, (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: 20
Word count: 132
From the Death of Mary
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
However, sooner than the apostle Thomas, who
Came after it was too late, the quick angel, who had
long been prepared for this, stepped in
and ordered at the burial place:
Push the stone aside. If you want to know
Where she is, who moves your heart:
Look: just as a lavenderpillow
She had been laid in there for a while,
That in the future the earth would smell of her
In its folds like a fine cloth.
Everything dead (do you feel), everything sick
Is stunned by her fragrance.
Look at the linen: where is it white,
Where becomes blinding and does not shrink?
This light out of this pure corpse
Was more clarifying to him than sunshine
Aren't you amazed, how gently she escaped him?
It is almost as if she were still here, nothing has moved.
But the Heavens are shaking above:
Man, kneel down and see me go and sing.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Knut W. Barde, (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:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 155
