To the grave one day from a house they bore
A maiden;
To the window the citizens went to explore;
In splendour they lived, and with wealth as of yore
Their banquets were laden.
Then thought they: "The maid to the tomb is now borne;
We too from our dwellings ere long must be torn,
And he that is left our departure to mourn,
To our riches will be the successor,
For some one must be their possessor.
Back to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Get a free collection of Classic Poetry ↓
To be able to leave a comment here you must be registered. Log in or Sign up.
Comments1Just read "Burial", wow that hit deep. When they write "We too from our dwellings ere long must be torn", got me thinking how unpredictable life is. You can be loaded with wealth one day, gone the next. Life's short, enjoy every moment 👍. Let's not worry too much about who gets our stuff when we're gone ✌️.