When Time, or soon or late, shall bring The dreamless sleep that lulls the dead, Oblivion! may thy languid wing Wave gently o'er my dying bed! No band of friends or heirs be there, To weep, or wish, the coming blow: No maiden, with dishevelled hair, To feel, or feign, decorous woe. But silent let me sink to Earth, With no officious mourners near: I would not mar one hour of mirth, Nor startle Friendship with a fear. Yet Love, if Love in such an hour Could nobly check its useless sighs, Might then exert its latest power In her who lives, and him who dies. 'Twere sweet, my Psyche! to the last Thy features still serene to see: Forgetful of its struggles past, E'en Pain itself should smile on thee. But vain the wish -- for Beauty still Will shrink, as shrinks the ebbing breath; And women's tears, produced at will, Deceive in life, unman in death. Then lonely be my latest hour, Without regret, without a groan; For thousands Death hath ceas'd to lower, And pain been transient or unknown. "Ay, but to die, and go," alas! Where all have gone, and all must go! To be the nothing that I was Ere born to life and living woe! Count o'er the joys thine hours have seen, Count o'er thy days from anguish free, And know, whatever thou hast been, 'Tis something better not to be.
Confirmed with Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, seventh Edition, London: John Murray, 1814, pages 227 - 230. Appears in Poems.
Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Euthanasia", appears in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, in Poems, first published 1812 [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Otto Gildemeister) , "Euthanasia", appears in Lord Byron's Werke, übersetzt von Otto Gildemeister in sech Bänden
- POL Polish (Polski) (Adam Mickiewicz) , "Euthanasia"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-05-09
Line count: 36
Word count: 237
Ob früh, ob spät die Zeit ihn bringe, Traumlosen Schlummer, ew'ge Ruh', Vergessenheit, mit müder Schwinge, Mein Sterbebett umschwebe du! Nicht wein' und wart' an meinem Lager Der Erben Troß, der Freunde Schwarm; Kein Mädchenantlitz, bleich und hager Von wahrem oder falschem Harm. Still möcht' ich sinken in die Erde, Ohn' alle Klag' und Litanei, Daß nicht das Fest verschoben werde Und Freundschaft nicht voll Sorge sei. Die Liebe ja, -- wenn sich die Liebe Stark über leere Klag' erhebt, -- Sie wär' ein Trost, der mächtig bliebe In ihm, der stirbt, in ihr, die lebt. Schön wär' es, Psyche, bis ans Ende Dein heitres Lächeln anzuschaun; Vor seinem Sonnenblick verschwände Der letzte Schmerz, das dunkle Graun. Ach, aber Schönheit flieht von hinnen, Wo Lebenshauch zu fliehen droht; Wir sind, wenn Weiberthränen rinnen, Im Leben blind, entnervt im Tod. Drum einsam sei die letzte Stunde, Von Klag' und Jammer unentweiht; Wie Viele hat die Todeswunde, Eh' sie es fühlten, sanft befreit! "Ja, um zu sterben, hinzufahren," Wohin am Ende Alle gehn, Das Nichts zu werden, das sie waren, Eh' sie das Weh der Welt gesehn! Zähl' jede frohe Stund' im Leben, Zähl' deine Tage frei von Pein, Und wisse, was sie dir auch geben, Noch besser ist es nicht zu sein.
See also Wolf's setting Bild meiner Liebsten, which uses several lines from this poem.
Authorship:
- by Otto Gildemeister (1823 - 1902), "Euthanasia", appears in Lord Byron's Werke, übersetzt von Otto Gildemeister in sech Bänden [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Euthanasia", appears in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, in Poems, first published 1812
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 page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2013-05-09
Line count: 36
Word count: 209