Das Lied von der Erde
The same year saw the publication of Hans Bethge's "Die chinesische Flöte", a free rewriting of others' translations of classical Chinese poems. Mahler was captivated by the vision of earthly beauty and transience expressed in these verses and chose seven of the poems to set to music as "Das Lied von der Erde". Mahler completed the work in 1909.