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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé
Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe?
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: FRE
Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe? Ich bin dein Krug (wenn ich zerscherbe?) Ich bin dein Trank (wenn ich verderbe?) Bin dein Gewand und dein Gewerbe mit mir verlierst du deinen Sinn. Nach mir hast du kein Haus, darin dich Worte, nah und warm, begrüssen. Es fällt von deinen müden Füssen die Samtsandale, die ich bin. Dein großer Mantel läßt dich los. Dein Blick, den ich mit meiner Wange warm, wie mit einem Pfühl, empfange, wird kommen, wird mich suchen, lange -- und legt beim Sonnenuntergange sich fremden Steinen in den Schoss. Was wirst du tun, Gott? Ich bin bange.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe", written 1899, appears in Das Stundenbuch, in 1. Das Buch vom mönchischen Leben , no. 36, first published 1905 [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 Robert Fürstenthal (1920 - 2016), "Was wirst du tun, Gott?" [ voice and piano ], from Lieder an Gott nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lawrence Kenneth Moss (1927 - 2022), "Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe?", 1963, rev. 1966, rev. 1977, from Three Rilke Songs, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Raymond Murray Schafer (b. 1933), "Was wirst du tun" [ voice, strings and piano ], from Songs from Rilke's Book of Hours, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Astrid Schmidt (b. 1967), "Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe" [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josep Soler i Sardà (1935 - 2022), "Was wirst du tun, Gott ...", 1961 [ voice and piano ], from Das Stunden-Buch, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Oliver Steller (b. 1967), "Was wirst du tun Gott?", 2006 [ narrator, saxophone and double bass ], from Zwischen den Sternen. Gedichte. Briefe. Leben. , no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Ueter (1900 - 1985), "Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe?", op. 36 no. 5 (1934) [ baritone, violoncello and piano ], from cantata Der kleine Tod, no. 5, Tobias Broeker 2015 [sung text not yet checked]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by John W. M. Slangen (b. 1951), "Zwei Gesänge", 1982, first performed 1982 [ voice and organ ], note: this piece consists of one movement with 'a succession of different characters that each find their expression in distinct styles' (from the composer's website) : Toccata, Recitativ und Arioso (XXX), kleines Prélude, Variation I, Variation II, Toccata double (XXXVI), double Intermezzo, Choral Variation III, Schluss
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Que feras-tu, Dieu, quand je mourrai", copyright © 2012, (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: 16
Word count: 101
Que feras‑tu, Dieu, quand je mourrai
Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)
Que feras-tu, Dieu, quand je mourrai ? Je suis ta cruche (si je me brise ?) Je suis ta boisson (si je me gâte ?) Je suis ta robe et ton activité, avec moi tu perdras ton sens. Après moi tu n'auras plus de maison où des paroles,proche et chaleureuses te saluent. De tes pieds fatigués tomberont les sandales de soie que je suis. Ton grand manteau t'échappera. Ton regard qui sur mes joues chaudes se posais comme sur un coussin, viendra, me cherchera, longtemps -- et se posera au coucher du soleil au sein de pierres étrangères. Que feras-tu, Dieu ? Je suis effrayé.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2012 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe", written 1899, appears in Das Stundenbuch, in 1. Das Buch vom mönchischen Leben , no. 36, first published 1905
This text was added to the website: 2013-01-22
Line count: 16
Word count: 102