Wie Blätter am Baum
German source:
Moritz Horn
Wie Blätter am Baum,
Wie Blumen vergeh’n –
Wie Blütenflaum
Die Winde verweh’n.
So geht vorbei
Des Lebens Mai
Eh’ wir’s denken,
Deckt das Grab,
Was das Leben
Liebes gab!
_Rose:_
Oh Schwester, tief beklagt!
_Chor:_
Wir werfen in dein frühes Grab
Die Blumen betend still hinab. –
_Totengräber:_
Sei dir die Erde leicht!
_Chor:_
Der Erde geben wir zurück Dich,
uns’re Hoffnung, unser Glück.
_Rose:_
Schlumm’re sanft!
_Chor:_
Schmerz ging mit uns ans Grab hinaus,
Schmerz geht mit uns ins Trauerhaus!
_Rose:_
Ruh’ sanft!
How leaves upon trees
English translation ©
Sharon Krebs
How leaves upon trees,
How flowers decay
How downy blossoms
Are scattered by the wind,
Thus passes
Life’s Maytime.
Before we realize it,
The grave covers
The good and beautiful things
Life gave us.
_Rose:_
Oh sister, deeply mourned! –
_Chorus:_
We cast into your early grave
Flowers prayerfully down.
_Gravedigger:_
May the sod rest lightly upon you!
_Chorus:_
We give you back to the earth,
Our hope, our joy.
_Rose:_
Sleep softly!
_Chorus:_
Pain walked with us out to the grave,
Pain walks with us into the house of mourning!
_Rose:_
Rest softly!
Translations by Sharon Krebs first published in 2009 at lieder.net, and reprinted by Carus-Verlag
Wie Blätter am Baum
German source:
Moritz Horn
How leaves upon trees
English source:
Sharon Krebs
_Chor:_
_Chorus:_
Wie Blätter am Baum,
How leaves upon trees,
Wie Blumen vergeh’n –
How flowers decay
Wie Blütenflaum
How downy blossoms
Die Winde verweh’n.
Are scattered by the wind,
So geht vorbei
Thus passes
Des Lebens Mai
Life’s Maytime.
Eh’ wir’s denken,
Before we realize it,
Deckt das Grab,
The grave covers
Was das Leben
The good and beautiful things
Liebes gab!
Life gave us.
_Rose:_
_Rose:_
Oh Schwester, tief beklagt!
Oh sister, deeply mourned! –
_Chor:_
_Chorus:_
Wir werfen in dein frühes Grab
We cast into your early grave
Die Blumen betend still hinab. –
Flowers prayerfully down.
_Totengräber:_
_Gravedigger:_
Sei dir die Erde leicht!
May the sod rest lightly upon you!
_Chor:_
_Chorus:_
Der Erde geben wir zurück Dich,
We give you back to the earth,
uns’re Hoffnung, unser Glück.
Our hope, our joy.
_Rose:_
_Rose:_
Schlumm’re sanft!
Sleep softly!
_Chor:_
_Chorus:_
Schmerz ging mit uns ans Grab hinaus,
Pain walked with us out to the grave,
Schmerz geht mit uns ins Trauerhaus!
Pain walks with us into the house of mourning!
_Rose:_
_Rose:_
Ruh’ sanft!
Rest softly!
Composer
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist. He had been assured…
