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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani

Das himmlische Leben
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE ITA POR
Wir genießen die himmlischen Freuden,
Drum tun wir das Irdische meiden,
Kein weltlich Getümmel
Hört man nicht im Himmel!
Lebt alles in sanftester Ruh'!
Wir führen ein englisches Leben!
Sind dennoch ganz lustig daneben!
Wir tanzen und springen,
Wir hüpfen und singen!
Sankt Peter im Himmel sieht zu!

Johannes das Lämmlein auslasset,
Der Metzger Herodes drauf passet!
Wir führen ein geduldig's,
Unschuldig's, geduldig's,
Ein liebliches Lämmlein zu Tod!
Sankt Lucas den Ochsen tät schlachten
Ohn' einig's Bedenken und Achten,
Der Wein kost' kein Heller
Im himmlischen Keller,
Die Englein, die backen das Brot.

Gut' Kräuter von allerhand Arten,
Die wachsen im himmlischen Garten!
Gut' Spargel, Fisolen
Und was wir nur wollen!
Ganze Schüsseln voll sind uns bereit!
Gut Äpfel, gut' Birn' und gut' Trauben!
Die Gärtner, die alles erlauben!
Willst Rehbock, willst Hasen,
Auf offener Straßen
Sie laufen herbei!

Sollt' ein Fasttag etwa kommen,
Alle Fische gleich mit Freuden angeschwommen!
Dort läuft schon Sankt Peter
Mit Netz und mit Köder
Zum himmlischen Weiher hinein.
Sankt Martha die Köchin muß sein.

Kein' Musik ist ja nicht auf Erden,
Die uns'rer verglichen kann werden.
Elftausend Jungfrauen
Zu tanzen sich trauen!
Sankt Ursula selbst dazu lacht!
Cäcilia mit ihren Verwandten
Sind treffliche Hofmusikanten!
Die englischen Stimmen
Ermuntern die Sinnen,
Daß alles für Freuden erwacht.

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn [author's text not yet checked 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 Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911), "Das himmlische Leben", 1892 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder aus "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" (formerly "Humoresken"), no. 15 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911), "Das himmlische Leben", 1901 [ voice and orchestra ], from Symphony No. 4, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La vida celestial", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The heavenly life", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "La vita celeste", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Napoleão Laureano de Andrade) , "A vida celestial", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 46
Word count: 211

La vita celeste
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Noi delle gioie celesti godiamo,
e tutto ciò che è terrestre evitiamo,
Non un eco del frastuono del mondo
Può sentirsi qui in alto nel cielo!
Tutto vive in una pace dolcissima!
Noi viviamo una angelica vita!
Siamo sempre ed in tutto beati!
Danziamo e saltiamo,
balziamo e cantiamo!
San Pietro nel cielo ci guarda!
 
Giovanni lascia libero l'agnello
Il macellaio Erode osserva attento!
Noi rechiamo un paziente,
innocente e paziente,
grazioso agnellino alla morte!
San Luca manda il bue al macello
Senza darsene troppo pensiero,
il vino non costa niente
nella cantina celeste,
e gli angeli mettono il pane al forno.
 
Verdura buona di ogni tipo
Cresce qui nel celeste orto!
Ottimi asparagi, fagioli,
e tutto ciò di cui abbiamo bisogno!
Tutti i piatti sono già pieni e pronti!
Belle mele, uva e buone pere
che ci lascia raccogliere il giardiniere!
E se desideri lepri o caprioli,
ecco che quelli dalla strada là fuori,
si precipitano in cucina qui da noi.

E se il giorno di magro dovesse arrivare,
ecco allora i pesci, felici, a galla nuotare!
E San Pietro inizia la pesca
Con l'amo e con l'esca
Nel vivaio celeste.
E Santa Marta dovrà fare la cuoca.

Nessuna musica può ascoltarsi in terra
Che sia paragonabile alla nostra.
Undicimila giovani ragazze
Si fanno coraggio e iniziano le danze!
E perfino Sant'Orsola a ridere incomincia!
Cecilia con tutti i sui parenti
Sono musici di corte davvero eccellenti!
Gli angelici canti
confortano i sensi,
e ogni cosa alla gioia si desta.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2009 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2009-04-27
Line count: 46
Word count: 251

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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