La tombe | La tombe est profonde et silencieuse

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by Johann Gaudenz Freiherr von Salis-Seewis (1762 - 1834)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Das Grab ist tief und stille

Language: German (Deutsch)

Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE

Das Grab ist tief und stille,
Und schauderhaft sein Rand.
Es deckt mit schwarzer Hülle
Ein unbekanntes Land.

Das Lied der Nachtigallen
Tönt nicht in seinem Schooß.
Der [Freundschaft]¹ Rosen fallen
Nur auf des Hügels Moos.

Verlaßne Bräute ringen
Umsonst die Hände wund;
Der [Waise]² Klagen dringen
Nicht in der Tiefe Grund.

Doch sonst an keinem Orte
Wohnt die ersehnte Ruh;
Nur durch die [dunkle]³ Pforte
Geht [man]⁴ der Heimat zu. 

Das arme Herz, hienieden
Von manchem Sturm bewegt,
Erlangt den wahren Frieden
Nur [wo]⁵ es nicht mehr schlägt.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von J. G. von Salis. Gesammelt durch seinen Freund Friedrich Matthisson. Zürich, bey Orell, Gessner, Füssli und Compagnie. 1793, pages 35-36; and with Gedichte von J. G. von Salis. Neueste Auflage. Wien 1815. Bey B. Ph. Bauer, pages 36-37.

First published in a different version in Göttinger Musenalmanach 1788, see below.

¹ Reichardt: "Liebe"
² Schubert (D.643A), Randhartinger: "Waisen"
³ Westenholz: "enge"
⁴ Reichardt: "wir"
⁵ Westenholz: "wenn"

Authorship:

by Johann Gaudenz Freiherr von Salis-Seewis (1762 - 1834), "Das Grab", written 1783, first published 1788 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Flügel (1812 - 1900), "Das Grab ist tief und stille", op. 8 no. 4, published << 1869 [ voice and piano ], from Jugendlieder, no. 4, Magdeburg: Heinrichshofen'sche Buch- und Musikalien Handlung [sung text not yet checked]
by J. G. Hübner , "Das Grab" [sung text not yet checked]
by Daniel Friedrich Rudolph Kuhlau (1786 - 1832), "Das Grab", op. 11a (10 Deutsche Lieder mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 1 (1813), published [1814] [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
by Carl Theodor Moritz (1772 - 1834), "Das Grab", op. 5 (Dreizehn Lieder und Gesaenge mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 7 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Johann Albrecht Muck (1763 - 1839), "Das Grab", published [1793], Leipzig: Gedruckt in der Breitkopfischen notendruckerey [sung text not yet checked]
by Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Das Grab" [sung text checked 1 time]
by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Das Grab", published 1797 [ voice and piano ], from Gesänge der Klage und des Trostes, no. 1, Berlin, Johann Friedrich Unger [sung text checked 1 time]
by Vincenzo Righini (1756 - 1812), "Das Grab ist tief und stille", op. 5 no. 4 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs deutsche Lieder, zwey davon mit Variazionen am Forte Piano zu singen von Vincent Righini, Königl. Preussischen Capellmeister, no. 4, Hamburg: Bey John. Augt. Böhme [sung text not yet checked]
by Vincenzo Righini (1756 - 1812), "Das Grab ist tief und stille", published [c1805] [ voice and piano ], from Sechs deutsche Lieder in Musik gesezt von Vincenzo Righini, Heft III, no. 6, Mainz: Bey Carl Zulehner [sung text not yet checked]
by Franz Xaver Schnyder von Wartensee (1786 - 1868), "Das Grab", published 1811 [ vocal quartet and piano ad libitum ], Zürich : H. G. Nägeli [sung text checked 1 time]
by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Das Grab", WoO. 1 (1901) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Das Grab", D 330 (1815), published 1895 [ chorus and piano ], second setting [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Das Grab", D 377 (1816), published 1872 [ ttbb chorus and piano ], third setting [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Das Grab", D 569 (1817), published 1895 [ chorus and piano ], fourth setting [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Das Grab", D 643A (1819), published 1972 [ satb quartet ], fifth setting [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Das Grab", D 329A (1815?) [ satb chorus ], first setting; sketch for a canon [sung text not yet checked]
by Johann Xaver Sterkel (1750 - 1817), "Das Grab" [sung text not yet checked]
by Sophia Maria Westenholz, née Fritscher (1759 - 1838), "Das Grab" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (1760 - 1802), "Das Grab", published 1802, from Kleine Balladen und Lieder, Heft IV, no. 24 [sung text checked 1 time]

Set in a modified version by Johann Anton André.

Go to the text. [ view differences ] ITA

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), [adaptation] ; composed by Ferdinand Anacker.
Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Platon Grigorevich Obodovsky (1803 - 1861?4) ; composed by Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Aliabev.

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

ENG English (George MacDonald) , "The grave", appears in Rampolli: Growths from a Long Planted Root. Being Translations, New and Old, Chiefly from the German, first published 1897

Research team for this text: 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: 89

La tombe

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

La tombe est profonde et silencieuse,
Et affreux est son bord,
Il couvre de voiles noirs
Une terre inconnue.

Le chant du rossignol
Ne résonne pas en son sein.
Les roses de l'amitié tombent
Seulement sur la mousse de la colline.

Les fiancées abandonnées tordent
En vain leurs mains écorchées.
La plainte des orphelins
Ne pénètre pas dans son sol profond.

Pourtant dans aucun autre endroit
On ne peut trouver le repos souhaité ;
Seulement à travers cette porte sombre
On peut finalement atteindre la Demeure.

Le pauvre cœur, ici-bas
Par maintes tempêtes secoué,
Atteindra la vraie paix
Seulement quand il ne battra plus.

Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2010 by Guy Laffaille, (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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Gaudenz Freiherr von Salis-Seewis (1762 - 1834), "Das Grab", written 1783, first published 1788

This text was added to the website: 2010-01-12
Line count: 20
Word count: 104