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by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Zwei Särge einsam stehen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Zwei Särge einsam stehen
In des alten Domes Hut,
König Ottmar liegt in dem [einen]1,
In dem andern der Sänger ruht.

Der König saß einst mächtig
Hoch auf der Väter Thron,
Ihm liegt das Schwert in der Rechten
Und auf dem [Haupte]2 die Kron'.

Doch neben dem stolzen König,
Da liegt der Sänger traut,
Man noch in seinen Händen
Die fromme Harfe schaut.

Die Burgen [rings]3 zerfallen,
Schlachtruf tönt durch das Land,
Das Schwert, [das]4 regt sich nimmer
[Da in des]5 Königs Hand.

Blüten und milde Lüfte
[Wehen]6 das Tal entlang -
Des Sängers Harfe tönet
In ewigem Gesang.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Abt •   F. Abt •   E. Behm •   C. Isenmann •   H. Triest 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
See also König und Sänger set by H. G. Goetz.

1 Triest: "ersten"
2 Behm: "Haupt"
3 Isenmann: "sind"
4 Isenmann: "es"
5 Abt: "In des"; Isenmann: "Dort in des"; Triest: "In des alten"
6 Behm: "Weben"

Text Authorship:

  • by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Zwei Särge" [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Des Sängers Harfe", op. 236 (Drei vierstimmige Männergesänge) no. 2, published 1863 [ tenor and TTBB chorus ], Offenbach, André [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Des Sängers Harfe", op. 581 (Vier Gesänge für 3 Frauenstimmen) no. 2, published 1882 [ SSA trio and piano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Eduard Behm (1862 - 1946), "Zwei Särge", op. 23 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Joseph Dessauer (1798 - 1876), "Zwei Särge", published 1838, from Drei Gedichte von Justinus Kerner, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Carl Isenmann (1839 - 1889), "Des Sängers Harfe", op. 48, published 1883 [ TTBB chorus ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Müller (b. 1835), "Des Sängers Harfe", op. 92 (Vier Lieder für vierstimmigen Männerchor ) no. 2, published 1873 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Schuberth & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Der König und der Sänger" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker (1844 - 1906), "Zwei Särge" [ mixed chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by (Philipp) Friedrich Silcher (1789 - 1860), "Zwei Särge" [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Heinrich Triest (1808 - 1885), "Die zwei Särge", op. 5 (Fünf Gesänge) no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Alexander Winterberger (1834 - 1914), "Zwei Särge", op. 12 (Zwölf Gesänge) no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-21
Line count: 20
Word count: 105

Two coffins stand alone
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Two coffins stand alone
In the keep of the old cathedral,
King Ottmar lies in the [one]1,
In the other the singer rests.

The king once sat in might
High upon the throne of his ancestors,
The sword lies in his right hand
And upon his head the crown.

But beside the proud monarch,
There lies the modest singer,
In his hands one can still see
The noble harp.

The castles [round about are crumbling]2,
A battle-cry resounds through the land,
The sword, it never moves
[There]3 in the hand of the [king]4.

Blossoms and mild breezes
[Waft]5 along the valley -
The singer's harp rings out
In eternal song.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Translated titles:
"Zwei Särge" = "Two coffins"
"Die zwei Särge" = "The two coffins"
"Des Sängers Harfe" = "The minstrel’s harp"

1 Triest: "first one"
2 Isenmann: "have crumbled"
3 omitted by Abt
4 Triest: "old king"
5 Behm: "Weave their way"

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 Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Zwei Särge"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2013-09-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 117

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
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