by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Death, thy servant, is at my door
Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)
Our translations: GER
Chosen for Diff
Death, thy servant, is at my door. He has crossed the unknown sea and brought thy call to my home. The night is dark and my heart is fearful -- yet I will take up the lamp, open my gates and bow to him my welcome. It is thy messenger who stands at my door. I will worship him with folded hands, and with tears. I worship him placing at his feet the treasure of my heart. He will go back with his errand done, leaving a dark shadow on my morning; and in my desolate home only my forlorn self will remain as my last offering to thee.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 86, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 86 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Masters van Someren-Godfery (d. 1947), "Death, thy servant", 1950? [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by André Gide (1869 - 1951) , no title, appears in Gitanjali (L'Offrande lyrique), no. 86 ; composed by Alfredo Casella.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Thomas F. Schubert (b. 1961) , copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [an adaptation] ; composed by Thomas F. Schubert.
- Also set in Spanish (Español), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Manuel M. Ponce.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Thomas F. Schubert) , copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [an adaptation]
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-04
Line count: 13
Word count: 108
La Muerte, tu servidora, está a mi...
Language: Spanish (Español) after the English
Chosen for Diff
La Muerte, tu servidora, está a mi puerta. Ha atravesado la mar desconocida Y trae tu llamado a mi casa. La noche es oscura y mi corazón tiniebla, Mas tomaré mi lámpara, le abriré mis puertas y le daré la bienvenida. Es tu mensajera quien se yergue ante mi umbral. Ella partirá, cumplido su encargo, Dejando una sombra negra en mi aurora Y en mi desolada casa No quedara a nada más que mi ser abandonado, Mi última ofrenda para ti.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 86, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 86 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Manuel M. Ponce (1883 - 1948), "La Muerte, tu servidora, está a mi puerta
", 1920, first performed 1921 [voice and piano], from La muerte, no. 2. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-31
Line count: 13
Word count: 81