Life is a dream | Life is a dream

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by Johann Christoph Wannovius (1753 - 1814)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Das Leben

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

Das Leben ist ein Traum,
Man merkt, man fühlt [ihn]¹ kaum;
Denn schnell wie Wolken ziehn,
Ist dieser Traum dahin.

Wohl dem! der gut geträumt,
Wohl dem! des Saat hier keimt
Zur Erndte für die Zeit
der Unvergänglichkeit.

Das Leben ist der Blick
Auf einer Zukunft Glück,
Das jeder haben kann,
Der hier es wohlgethan.

Wohl dem! der nach der Nacht
Des Grabes froh erwacht,
Den nicht die Stimme schreckt,
Die aus dem Schlummer weckt.

Wer bei der Arbeit Schluß
Die Rechnung fürchten muß,
Hat wahrlich keinen Blick
Auf einer Zukunft Glück.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• H. Behling

H. Behling sets stanzas 1, 2, 4

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Poetische Blumenlese der preussischen Staaten für 1789. Gesammlet von Kausch. Breslau, bei Ioh. Fried. Korn, dem Aeltern, pages 111-112.

¹ Behling: "es"

Text Authorship:

by Johann Christoph Wannovius (1753 - 1814), "Das Leben", first published 1789 [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 Heinrich Behling (1793 - 1854), "Das Leben", published c1840, stanzas 1,2,4 [ voice, piano ], Vier Lieder für eine Bariton-Stimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte. Reval: Kluge [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Das Leben", D 269 (1815), published 1849, two versions (vocal trio TTB; vocal trio SSA with piano) [sung text checked 1 time]

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

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: 20
Word count: 93

Life is a dream

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Life is a dream
One hardly notices or feels;
For quickly as clouds passing,
Is this dream behind us.

Happy is he who has dreamt well;
Happy is he whose crops here ripen
to harvest for Time
Eternal.

Life is a glimpse
of future happiness
That everyone can have
who has here done good.

Happy is he who, after the night
of the grave, awakens joyfully, -
who is not frightened by the voice
that has awakened him from slumber.

He who, at the end of his labor
fears the Reckoning,
will truly have no glimpse
of future happiness.

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 Johann Christoph Wannovius (1753 - 1814), "Das Leben", first published 1789
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 98