The deep little chamber | Death dug a little chamber

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by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Das tiefe Kämmerlein

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Es grub der Tod ein Kämmerlein,
Grub's in die Erde tief,
Gar weit von Schmerz und Sonnenschein --
Mein schöner Liebster schlich hinein
Und schlief.

Ich kniee draußen ganz allein
Und klopfe an die Thür:
"Wenn du mich liebst, erbarm' dich mein
Und tritt aus deinem Kämmerlein
Herfür!"

Nichts regt sich! Nur des Käuzchens Schrein
Irrt durch die Luft so hohl!
Ein Schauer rinnt durch mein Gebein --
Wie schwarz die Nacht, wie kalt der Stein . . .
"Leb wohl . . ."

Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, Fünfte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1900, page 23.

Text Authorship:

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Das tiefe Kämmerlein", appears in Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, in 2. Es grub der Tod ein Kämmerlein, no. 1 [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 Johan Backer-Lunde (1874 - 1958), "Das tiefe Kämmerlein", op. 34 no. ? [ voice and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Marie Charlotte Henriette von Kehler (1822 - 1882), "Das tiefe Kämmerlein", op. 18 (Sechs Lieder für 1 tiefe Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 2, published 1900 [ low voice and piano ], Kassel, Kramer-Bangert [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The deep little chamber", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La petite chambre profonde", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-01
Line count: 15
Word count: 82

The deep little chamber

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Death dug a little chamber,
Dug it deep into the earth,
Far, far from pain and sunshine --
My beautiful love crept into it
And slept.

I kneel outside quite alone
And knock upon the door:
"If you love me, take pity on me
And come out of your little chamber,
Come out!"

Nothing stirs! Only the owl's cry
Strays through the air so hollowly!
A shudder runs through my bones --
How black the night, how cold the stone . . .
"Farewell . . . "

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 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 Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Das tiefe Kämmerlein", appears in Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, in 2. Es grub der Tod ein Kämmerlein, no. 1
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2023-11-14
Line count: 15
Word count: 86