The world goes on about its business

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by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Welt treibt fort ihr Wesen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Die Welt treibt fort ihr Wesen,
Die Leute kommen und gehen,
Als wärst du nie gewesen,
Als wäre nichts geschehn.
 
Wie sehen ich mich aufs neue
Hinaus in Wald und Flur!
Ob ich mich gräm', mich freue,
Du bleibst mir treu, Natur.
 
Da klagt vor tiefem Sehnen
Schluchzend die Nachtigall,
Es schimmern rings von Thränen
Die Blumen überall.
 
Und über alle Gipfel
Und Blütenthäler zieht
Durch stillen Waldes Wipfel
Ein heimlich Klagelied.
 
Da spür' ich's recht im Herzen,
Daß du's, Herr, draußen bist -
Du weißt's, wie mir von Schmerzen
Mein Herz zerrissen ist!

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Joseph Freiherrn von Eichendorff's sämtliche poetische Werke, dritte Auflage, Erster Band, Gedichte, C. F. Amelang's Verlag, Leipzig, 1883.

Note: modern spelling would change "Thränen" to "Tränen" and "Blütenthäler" to "Blütentäler".

Text Authorship:

by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), no title, appears in Gedichte, in 5. Totenopfer, in Auf meines Kindes Tod, no. 7 [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 (Leopold) Heinrich (Picot de Peccaduc), Freiherr von Herzogenberg (1843 - 1900), "Nach Jahren", op. 105 no. 5, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], from Elegische Gesänge (Zweite Folge) : aus dem Cyklus "Auf meines Kindes Tod" von J. v. Eichendorff für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 5, Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , no title, copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2012-04-04
Line count: 20
Word count: 93

The world goes on about its business

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The world goes on about its business,
People come and go,
As if you had never been,
As if nothing had happened.

How I yearn anew
To be out in the forest and meadow!
Whether I am grieving [or] happy,
Nature, you remain true to me.

There in deep longing
The nightingale laments sobbingly,
The flowers everywhere shimmer
With tears all around.

And above all the mountain tops
And blossoming valleys there passes
Through the quiet treetops of the forest
A secret song of sorrow.

Then I feel it truly in my heart,
That it is Thou, Lord, out there--
Thou knowest, how my heart
Is rent with pain!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translated titles:
"Auf meines Kindes Tod" = "On the Death of My Child"
"Nach Jahren" = "After years"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), no title, appears in Gedichte, in 5. Totenopfer, in Auf meines Kindes Tod, no. 7
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2013-08-08
Line count: 20
Word count: 109