Songs
O Tod, wie bitter bist du
by Johannes Brahms From Vier ernste Gesänge, (Four Serious Songs) (1896) Op. 121
Text & Translation
O Tod, wie bitter bist du
German source:
Martin Luther
Wenn an dich gedenket ein Mensch,
Der gute Tage und genug hat
Und ohne Sorge lebet;
Und dem es wohl geht in allen Dingen
Und noch wohl essen mag!
O Tod, wie wohl tust du dem Dürftigen,
Der da schwach und alt ist,
Der in allen Sorgen steckt,
Und nichts Bessers zu hoffen,
Noch zu erwarten hat!
O death
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
that liveth at rest in his possessions,
unto the man that hath nothing to vex him,
and that hath prosperity in all things;
yea, unto him that is yet able to receive meat!
O death, acceptable is thy sentence unto the needy and unto him whose strength faileth,
that is now in the last age,
and is vexed with all things,
and to him that despaireth,
and hath lost patience!
O Tod, wie bitter bist du
German source:
Martin Luther
O death
English source:
Richard Stokes
O Tod, wie bitter bist du,
O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man
Wenn an dich gedenket ein Mensch,
that liveth at rest in his possessions,
Der gute Tage und genug hat
unto the man that hath nothing to vex him,
Und ohne Sorge lebet;
and that hath prosperity in all things;
Und dem es wohl geht in allen Dingen
yea, unto him that is yet able to receive meat!
Und noch wohl essen mag!
O Tod, wie wohl tust du dem Dürftigen,
O death, acceptable is thy sentence unto the needy and unto him whose strength faileth,
Der da schwach und alt ist,
that is now in the last age,
Der in allen Sorgen steckt,
and is vexed with all things,
Und nichts Bessers zu hoffen,
and to him that despaireth,
Noch zu erwarten hat!
and hath lost patience!
Composer
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna. Brahms has been considered, by his…
Poet
Martin Luther
Martin Luther, (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, monk, and a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. Read the full Wikipedia article here.
Performances
Previously performed at:
- Mastercourse: Concert 28 Oct 2023
- 30. Winners of the Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform: Jess Dandy & Dylan Perez 15 Oct 2020
- 03. Brahms's Circle and the Musical Past (Part Two) 10 Oct 2020
- Mastercourse Concert 28 Oct 2017
- Mastercourse Day One 23 Oct 2017