Media vita in morte sumus

Media vita in morte sumus is the beginning of a Latin antiphon, which is attributed to Notker I., but probably originated as early as the year 750 in the Frankish Empire. It can be about as " middle of life, we are of death" translate. The traditional translation is: "In the midst of life we ​​are embraced by death " or " midst of life we are surrounded by death ." It stands for the Vergänglichkeitsgedanken especially during the Baroque period, see also Vanitas. Use, it was also in Hartmann von Aue's Middle High German narrative poem " The poor Heinrich" ( V.93f. ).

The Bavarian Guglmänner use the phrase as their motto.

An echo of this idea, we also find in Rilke 's famous, often used as grave saying short poem " closing track " ( "Death is big [ ... ] If we think ourselves in the midst of life / he dares to cry / in the midst of us").