This cycle of 4 songs is set to various Bible texts from the Old and New Testaments. Brahms wrote the piece in 1896, the same year his close friend and possible lover Clara Schumann suffered a stroke. It is speculated that the cycle, characterized by texts about death and the transience of life, was written in anticipation of his friend?s imminent passing. Despite the connection to Clara, the cycle was actually dedicated to Max Klinger, a German artist who used Brahms?s music as inspiration. This set of songs was Brahms?s last.
Denn es gehet dem Menschen wie dem Vieh;
For it goes with the men as with the animals;
wie dies stirbt, so stirbt er auch;
as these die, so dies he also;
und haben alle einerlei Odem;
and they have all one breath;
und der Mensch hat nichts mehr denn das Vieh:
and a man has no more than the animal:
denn es ist alles eitel.
For it is all vanity.
Es fährt alles an einem Ort;
They go all to one place;
es ist alles von Staub gemacht,
they are all from dust made,
und wird wieder zu Staub.
And will again to dust.
Wer weiß, ob der Geist des Menschen aufwärts fahre,
Who knows, whether the spirit of man upward goes,
und der Odem des Viehes unterwärts unter die Erde fahre?
And the breath of the animal downward under the earth goes?
Darum sahe ich, daß nichts bessers ist,
Wherefore perceive I, that nothing better is,
denn daß der Mensch fröhlich sei in seiner Arbeit,
than that a man happy should be in his work,
denn das ist sein Teil.
For that is his part.
Denn wer will ihn dahin bringen,
For will him to it bring,
daß er sehe, was nach ihm geschehen wird?
That he sees, what will happen to him after?