In praise of sorrow | O do not revile the sorrows of life!

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by Adolf Friedrich, Graf von Schack (1815 - 1894)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Lob des Leidens

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA SPA

O, schmäht des Lebens Leiden nicht!
Seht ihr die Blätter, wenn sie sterben, 
Sich in des Herbstes goldenem Licht
Nicht reicher, als im Frühling färben?
Was gleicht der Blüte des Vergehens
Im Hauche des Oktoberwehens?

Krystallner als die klarste Flut
Erglänzt des Auges Tränenquelle, 
Tief dunkler flammt die Abendglut, 
Als hoch am Tag die Sonnenhelle, 
Und keiner kußt so heissen Kuß, 
Als wer für ewig scheiden muß.

Text Authorship:

by Adolf Friedrich, Graf von Schack (1815 - 1894), "Lob des Leidens", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Liebesgedichte und Lieder, first published 1866 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Lob des Leidens", op. 15 (Fünf Lieder) no. 3 (1886) [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Elogi del sofriment", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Lof van het lijden", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "In praise of sorrow", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Éloge de la souffrance", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Elogio del dolore", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Alfredo García) , "Elogio del pesar", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Peter Duyster

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 67

In praise of sorrow

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

O do not revile the sorrows of life!
Look at the leaves: when they die,
is not the golden light of autumn
richer than when tinged by Spring?
What can compare to the blossom of loss
in the October breeze?

More crystalline than the clearest waters
are eyes with glistening, streaming tears;
Twilight glows with a profounder, darker gleam
than the sun does when it is high and bright in the sky;
and no one kisses with such ardent kisses
as when one must depart forever.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 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) by Adolf Friedrich, Graf von Schack (1815 - 1894), "Lob des Leidens", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Liebesgedichte und Lieder, first published 1866
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 86