The Miller

Götz: Miller

Kruspe: Miller

Schröer calls Kruspe's drawing (to the right) "incomplete and deficient", but it looks pretty much like Götz' watercolour (above).

The miller is tending to the shaft of the cogwheel, when Death grabs him by the arm.

In the background Schröer believed to see two blades at the top of the water wheel, with water pouring out. To me it looks more like two mill stones, with flour flowing out at the bottom.

Der Tod zum Müller:
Das Kammrad hast du so ziemlich recht gemacht;
Allein beim Mahlen oft dich gar zu gut bedacht.
Komm mit mir in mein Reich, vergiss nunmehr das Metzen,(1)
Ich will dich vom Geräusch hin in die Stille setzen.

Death to the Miller:
You made the cogwheel pretty well;
But you often thought too much about grinding.
Come with me into my kingdom, forget about your share(1) now,
I will bring you away from the noise and into the silence.

Der Müller:
Ich ging dem Werke nach recht emsig Tag und Nacht,
Doch bei dem Mahlen hab' ich oft an meinen Tod gedacht,
So hab' ich wissentlich den Mühlgast nicht betrogen,
Drum bleibt der Himmel mir beim Sterben auch gewogen.

The Miller:
I went about my work diligently day and night,
but while I was grinding I often thought of my death,
so I did not knowingly deceive the mill guest,
Therefore Heaven remains kind to me even when I die.

Footnotes: (1)

Metzen . . .: a "Mahlmitze" / "Mahlmetze" is the share of the flour that the miller himself gets for his work.