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Note:

this is not an exact translation,
but is meant to be sung to the original melody.


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The Four Last Songs (Vier letzte Lieder) of Richard Strauss.

New words in English by Joel Sattler, based on interpretations of the original lyrics.


I. Frühling - Spring

Entombed in the twilight
I have dreamed long
Of your green forests and blue skies often
Your scent of musk, birds lost in song

Now here you are glowing
And shining free
Your light overflowing
such a wonder to me

Once more you know me
You beg me yield
I tremble all over my body
I am blesséd I am blesséd I am blesséd
You are real!

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II. September

The garden in mourning
Cold sinking in the blooming of flowers
The summer in warning
Prepared to quiet meet the doom

Golden falls leaf by leaf
from the high acacia tree
so it seems
Summer smiles in surprise and grief

In this dying in garden’s dream
Waiting beside the roses longing for peace,
it stays a few
Ever slowly all weary eyes are closing too

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III. Beim Schlafengehen - Going to Sleep

Now that day has taken flight
I find all I really wanted
Was to fall into the night
Like a sleepy child unhaunted

Hands, at last, your work is done
Brain, forget all your thinking
All my senses down as one
Yearning to let slumber sink in

And the soul without fright
Wants to fly and fly forgiven
Find the magic sphere of night
so deep and thousandfold to live in

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IV. Im Abendrot - In the Sunset

We’ve come through joy and sorrow
On going hand in hand
From wandring we’ll rest here
High above the quiet land

All around us valleys hiding
The very air grows dark
In fragrance we are rising
In dreaming dusk like larks

Come here and watch them flutter
Soon we will go to night
Let us not lose each other
In solitary flight

O undiscovered country
So deep in sunset red
Wearily we are wondering
If this is what is death?

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