Whenever the dust disperses in the wind | Whenever the dust disperses in the wind

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

So oft der Staub im Wind zerstiebt

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

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  So oft der Staub im Wind zerstiebt,
Will's dich im Wandern mahnen, 
Wie Viele schon, die dich geliebt, 
Gesunken zu den Ahnen! 

  So oft der Staub im Wind zerstiebt.
O sollst du dran gedenken:
Hast du einmal genug geliebt, 
Wenn sie auch dich versenken?

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 307-308.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "So oft der Staub im Wind zerstiebt", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 332 [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 Wilhelm jun. Bethge (1841 - 1880) [sung text not yet checked]
by Samuel Hoch (b. 1830) [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Whenever the dust disperses in the wind", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-21
Line count: 8
Word count: 45

Whenever the dust disperses in the wind

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Choose for Diff

  Whenever the dust disperses in the wind
It wishes to remind you, while you are wandering,
How many of those who loved you
Have already sunk down to their forefathers!

  Whenever the dust disperses in the wind,
Oh, you are to think of this:
Someday when they lower you as well [into the grave],
Shall you have loved enough?

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 by Sharon Krebs, (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:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "So oft der Staub im Wind zerstiebt", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 332
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-08-26
Line count: 8
Word count: 60