Songs

Litanei auf des Fest Allerseelen

by Franz Schubert

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This song was recorded on the album 'Schubert Year by Year' on Stone Records, in preparation for Oxford Lieder's 2014 The Schubert Project, the first ever complete performance of Schubert's songs in a single festival. It features one song from each year of Schubert's creative life.

Click here to listen to the song with Marcus Farnsworth and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.



Text & Translation

View IPA

Litanei auf des Fest Allerseelen
German source: Johann Georg Jacobi

Ruhn in Frieden alle Seelen,
Die vollbracht ein banges Quälen,
Die vollendet süssen Traum,
Lebenssatt, geboren kaum,
Aus der Welt hinüber schieden:
Alle Seelen ruhn in Frieden!

Liebevoller Mädchen Seelen,
Deren Tränen nicht zu zählen,
Die ein falscher Freund verliess,
Und die blinde Welt verstiess:
Alle, die von hinnen schieden,
Alle Seelen ruhn in Frieden!

Und die nie der Sonne lachten,
Unterm Mond auf Dornen wachten,
Gott, im reinen Himmelslicht,
Einst zu sehn von Angesicht:
Alle, die von hinnen schieden,
Alle Seelen ruhn in Frieden!

Litany for the Feast of All Souls
English translation © Richard Wigmore

May all souls rest in peace;
those whose fearful torment is past;
those whose sweet dreams are over;
those sated with life, those barely born,
who have left this world:
may all souls rest in peace!

The souls of girls in love,
whose tears are without number,
who, abandoned by a faithless lover,
rejected the blind world.
May all who have departed hence,
may all souls rest in peace!

And those who never smiled at the sun,
who lay awake beneath the moon on beds of thorns,
so that they might one day see God face to face
in the pure light of heaven:
may all who have departed hence,
may all souls rest in peace!

_First published by Gollancz and reprinted in the Hyperion Schubert Song Edition_

Litanei auf des Fest Allerseelen
German source: Johann Georg Jacobi

Litany for the Feast of All Souls
English source: Richard Wigmore

Ruhn in Frieden alle Seelen,
May all souls rest in peace;
Die vollbracht ein banges Quälen,
those whose fearful torment is past;
Die vollendet süssen Traum,
those whose sweet dreams are over;
Lebenssatt, geboren kaum,
those sated with life, those barely born,
Aus der Welt hinüber schieden:
who have left this world:
Alle Seelen ruhn in Frieden!
may all souls rest in peace!

Liebevoller Mädchen Seelen,
The souls of girls in love,
Deren Tränen nicht zu zählen,
whose tears are without number,
Die ein falscher Freund verliess,
who, abandoned by a faithless lover,
Und die blinde Welt verstiess:
rejected the blind world.
Alle, die von hinnen schieden,
May all who have departed hence,
Alle Seelen ruhn in Frieden!
may all souls rest in peace!

Und die nie der Sonne lachten,
And those who never smiled at the sun,
Unterm Mond auf Dornen wachten,
who lay awake beneath the moon on beds of thorns,
Gott, im reinen Himmelslicht,
so that they might one day see God face to face
Einst zu sehn von Angesicht:
in the pure light of heaven:
Alle, die von hinnen schieden,
may all who have departed hence,
Alle Seelen ruhn in Frieden!
may all souls rest in peace!

Composer

Franz Schubert

Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He…

Poet

Johann Georg Jacobi

Johann Georg Jacobi was a German poet. The elder brother of the philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi, Johann Georg was born at Pempelfort near Düsseldorf. He studied theology at Göttingen and jurisprudence at Helmstedt, and was appointed, in 1766,…

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