Just when everything is at its most beautiful | It was always thus

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Grad wenn's am schönsten ist

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  So war's zu aller Frist, 
Wirst's müssen leiden: 
Grad, wenn's am schönsten ist, 
Ach! gilt's zu scheiden! 

Sonne, du weißt es gut: 
Mitten im Winken, 
Grad in der schönsten Gluth, 
Ach! mußt du sinken! 

Fluren, wenn spät im Jahr 
Golden ihr flimmert 
Und's noch so wunderbar 
Leuchtet und schimmert, 

Jäh von der Haide bald, 
Trüber und trüber, 
Und aus dem bunten Wald 
Klingt es herüber: 

  So wars's zu aller Frist, 
Wirst's müssen leiden: 
Grad, wenn's am schönsten ist, 
Ach! gilt's zu scheiden!

Confirmed with Neue Lieder von Friedrich Oser (1874-1884), Basel: Verlag von M. Bernheim, 1885, pages 80-81.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Grad wenn's am schönsten ist", appears in Neue Lieder [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 Hans Michael Schletterer (1824 - 1893), "Grad wenn's am schönsten ist", op. 61 no. 10, published 1886 [ sa chorus ], from Im Freien zu singen. 10 Chorduette für Sopran und Alt (9. Folge) ohne Begleitung. Zum Gebrauch in höheren Schulen und Gesangvereinen, no. 10, Leipzig: Kistner [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Just when everything is at its most beautiful", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2021-01-11
Line count: 20
Word count: 83

Just when everything is at its most beautiful

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  It was always thus,
You will have to suffer it:
Just when everything is at its most beautiful,
Ah, one must part!

Sun, you know it well:
In the middle of your beckoning,
Just in the most beautiful glow,
Ah! you must sink!

Meadows, when late in the year
You flicker golden,
And when you ever so wondrously
Glow and shimmer,

Soon abruptly from the heath,
Drearily and ever more drearily,
And from the colourful woods,
Comes the sound:

  It was always thus,
You will have to suffer it:
Just when everything is at its most beautiful,
Ah, one must part!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 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), "Grad wenn's am schönsten ist", appears in Neue Lieder
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2021-01-11
Line count: 20
Word count: 102