39″ x 47″
Oil on Canvas
Private Collection – Toronto, ON
Songs on the death of children
IV
I often think they have only gone out:
Soon they will come home again.
It is a beautiful day, do not be anxious
They have only gone out for a long walk.
Yes, indeed, they have only gone out
And they will be coming home now.
Do not be anxious, it is a beautiful day.
They have only gone for a walk up to the mountains
They have only gone out ahead of us,
And do not want to come home again.
We will find them on those heights up there
In the sunshine!
It is a beautiful day on those heights.
Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866)
The Kindertotenlieder were premiered in Vienna on January 29, 1905. Friedrich Weidemann was the soloist, conducted by the composer