by Joseph von Spaun (1788 - 1865)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Der Jüngling und der Tod
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE GRE ITA
Der Jüngling
 Die Sonne sinkt, o könnt' ich mit ihr scheiden!
 Mit ihrem letzten Strahl entfliehen!
 Ach diese namenlosen Qualen meiden
 Und weit in schön're Welten [zieh'n]1.

 O komme, Tod, und löse diese Bande!
 Ich lächle dir, o Knochenmann,
 Entführe mich leicht in geträumte Lande,
 O komm' und rühre mich doch an.

Der Tod
 Es ruht sich kühl und sanft in meinem Armen,
 Du rufst! Ich will mich deiner Qual erbarmen.

View original text (without footnotes)

Schubert received this text, which is Josef von Spaun's response to Schubert's "Der Tod und das Mädchen" (D. 531), in manuscript form; his manuscript has not been preserved.

1 most likely "ziehen" in Spaun's manuscript

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):

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El jovencell i la mort", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De jongeman en de dood", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The youth and Death", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le jeune homme et la mort", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , "Το Παληκάρι και ο Χάρος", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il giovinetto e la morte", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

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

The youth and Death
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The Youth:
 The sun is sinking; would that I could depart with it,
 to flee with its last beams,
 to end this nameless torture
 and travel far away into a fairer world!

 Oh, come, Death, and free me from these bonds!
 I smile at you, o Man of Bone.
 Lead me well into the land of dreams;
 oh come and take me.
 
Death:
 You will rest, cool and gentle, in my arms.
 You call! I will end your torment.

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.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 76