by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862)
Translation Singable translation by Arthur Westbrook
Die Vätergruft
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): FRE
Es [ging]1 wohl über die Heide Zur alten Kapell' empor Ein Greis in Waffengeschmeide Und trat in den dunkeln Chor. Die Särge seiner Ahnen Standen der Hall' entlang, Aus der Tiefe thät ihn mahnen Ein wunderbarer Gesang. »Wohl hab' ich euer Grüßen, Ihr Heldengeister, gehört; Eure Reihe soll ich schließen. Heil mir! ich bin es wert!« Es stand an kühler Stätte Ein Sarg noch ungefüllt; Den nahm er zum Ruhebette, Zum Pfühle nahm er den Schild. Die Hände thät er falten Aufs Schwert und [schlummert']2 ein; Die Geisterlaute verhallten, Da mocht' es gar stille sein.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Liszt: "schritt"
1 Cornelius, Liszt: "schlummerte"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Confirmed with Uhlands ausgewählte Gedichte, Fünfte Auflage, Stuttgart, Verlag der J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1891, pages 17-18
Note: modernized spelling would change "thät" to "tät"1 Liszt: "schritt"
1 Cornelius, Liszt: "schlummerte"
Authorship
- by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Die Vätergruft", written 1805, appears in Balladen und Romanzen [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 Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Die Vätergruft", op. 19 (1874) [ bass and satb chorus ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Heinrich Esser (1818 - 1872), "Die Vätergruft", op. 13, published 1845 [ voice and piano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Leopold) Heinrich (Picot de Peccaduc), Freiherr von Herzogenberg (1843 - 1900), "Die Vätergruft", op. 100 (Vier Balladen für 1 mittlere Stimme) no. 2, published 1898 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Christian Frederik Emil Horneman (1840 - 1906), "Die Vätergruft", published 1877 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Berlin, Fürstner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Maria Kappel von Savenau (1837 - 1916), "Die Vätergruft ", op. 6 (Zwei Gedichte für 1 Bassstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1875 [ bass and piano ], Wien, Bösendorfer [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Karl) Emil Kauffmann (1836 - 1909), "Die Vätergruft ", op. 17 (Zehn Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1884 [ alto or baritone and piano ], Tübingen, Laupp [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Friedrich Bonneval de La Trobe (1769 - 1845), "Die Vätergruft" [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf deutsche Lieder, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Luise Adolpha Le Beau (1850 - 1927), "Die Vätergruft", op. 16 (Zwei Balladen für gemischten Chor mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 2, published 1880 [ mixed chorus and piano ], Kassel, Voigt [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz (Ferenc) Liszt (1811 - 1886), "Die Vätergruft", S. 281 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Emil Naumann (1827 - 1888), "Die Vätergruft", op. 6 (Sechs Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran oder Bariton mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1856 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano ], Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English [singable] (Arthur Westbrook) , "The ancestral tomb"
- FRE French (Français) (Jacques L'oiseleur des Longchamps) , "Crypte des ancêtres", copyright © 2008, (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: 20
Word count: 95
The ancestral tomb
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Across the plain to the chapel There journey'd a wand'rer grim, A gray old man clad in armor, Who enter'd the chancel dim. Beneath those arches slept His ancestors in the tomb. From it sounded wondrous singing, Which fill'd the solemn gloom. Ye spirits of dead heroes, Your greeting heralds my death. Of your race the last, I'm worthy; All hail! I've held the faith. A coffin chill and stony He saw; 'twas yet unfill'd; And there, as a couch, he laid him, For pillow served him his shield. Upon his sword he folded His hands, and then fell asleep. The spirit voices all vanish'd, And peace reign'd in silence deep.
From a Liszt score.
Researcher for this text: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
Authorship
- Singable translation by Arthur Westbrook , "The ancestral tomb" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Die Vätergruft", written 1805, appears in Balladen und Romanzen
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-04-13
Line count: 20
Word count: 111