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Wir zogen mit einander Hornist und Musketier, Vier Arme, wenn wir stritten, Zwei Füße, wenn wir schritten, Ein Herz, wenn im Quartier. Wir hielten fest zusammen, Was immer mochte sein; So bald mein Horn sich rührte Da focht und da marschirte Der Brave hinterdrein. Bis auf das Feld von Lützen, Da traf die Kugel recht, Da lag in seinem Blute Der treue und der gute, Der tapfre Landesknecht; Und sprach: Daß Gott genade, Mir kommt die letzte Noth! [Nun]1 deck' mich zu mit Rasen Und thu' das Lied mir blasen: "Wohl starb er treuen Tod!" Ich [nahm]2 ihn in die Arme, Die Augen schloß er sacht; -- Ob er, ob ich geschieden? -- Wir lagen Beid' in Frieden Und tief auf uns die Nacht. Drauf deckt ich ihn mit Rasen, So wie er mir gebot, Und blies mit hellen Zähren Ihm übers Grab zu Ehren: "Wohl starb er treuen Tod." Als wir nun heimwärts zogen, -- Die Fahne flog im Wind -- Da jauchzten Väter, Brüder, Da drängte durch die Glieder Ein Weib mit ihrem Kind. Sie forschte rings und winkte Mit Augen thränenroth; Das Herz schier wollt mir brechen, Ich blies, -- nicht konnt ich sprechen: "Wohl starb er treuen Tod."
F. Kamm sets stanzas 1-6
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Deutscher Dichter-Frühling der neueren und neuesten Zeit, Zweiter Band, Herausgegeben von A. Hungari, Frankfurt am Main: J.D. Sauerländer's Verlag, 1854, pages 172-173.
1 Kamm: "Drum'"2 Abt: "nehm'"
Text Authorship:
- by Georg Scheurlin (1802 - 1872), "Treuer Tod", appears in Gedichte (1851), in Leben, first published 1851 [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Hornist und Musketier", op. 86 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Appel (1812 - 1895), "Hornist und Musketier", op. 42, published 1874 [ baritone or bass and piano ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ferdinand Kamm (1845 - 1897), "Wohl starb er treuen Tod", op. 45 (Liedersaal für Frauenchor. 90 drei- und vierstimmige Lieder für Schule, Haus und Verein) no. 15, published 1896, stanzas 1-6 [ ssa chorus ], Zürich & Leipzig: Hug [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Julius Richard Krell (1828 - 1880) and by J. H. Löffler , "Treuer Tod", published 1875 [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Kinderlieder mit Clavierbegleitung versehen von J. H. Löffler, no. 8, Weimar, Kühn [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2011-12-27
Line count: 40
Word count: 199
We travelled together, Bugler and musketeer, Four arms when we were fighting, Two feet when we were marching, One heart when we were in our quarters. We stuck together tightly, Whatever happened; As soon as my bugle sounded, The good man fought And marched behind me. Until upon the battlefield of Lützen, There the bullet hit accurately, There in his blood he lay, The faithful and the good, The valiant mercenary; -- And said: may God have mercy, I am facing the last adversity! Cover me [now]1 with grass And blow for me the song: "Truly, he died a stalwart death!" I took him in my arms, He gently closed his eyes; -- Did he, did I depart [this earth]? -- We both lay in peace And deep night [lay] upon us. Then I covered him with grass, As he had commanded me, And with bright tears I bugled Over his grave in his honour: "Truly, he died a stalwart death!" And as we then travelled homeward, -- The banner flew in the wind -- Thereupon fathers, brothers rejoiced, Then, pushing through the rows, There came a woman with her child. She searched round about and beckoned With eyes reddened by tears; My heart was nearly breaking, I bugled, -- I could not speak: "Truly, he died a stalwart death!"
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesTranslations of titles:
"Hornist und Musketier" = "Bugler and musketeer"
"Treuer Tod" = "Stalwart death"
"Wohl starb er treuen Tod" = "Truly, he died a stalwart death"
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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Georg Scheurlin (1802 - 1872), "Treuer Tod", appears in Gedichte (1851), in Leben, first published 1851
This text was added to the website: 2026-10-21
Line count: 40
Word count: 215