Challenge | Franconians, where was your sword? To be sure you sent fatal thundering

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by Friedrich Heinrich Karl, Freiherr de La Motte-Fouqué (1777 - 1843)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Ausforderung

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Franken, wo war Euer Schwert? Zwar sandtet Ihr tödtende Donner,
Daß zerschmettert im Staub sich Reiter wälzten und Rosse.
Aber, da wir uns nahten im ernsten Glanze der Waffen --
Zürnend brausten die Gäule, hoch wehte die flatternde Mähne,
Und Euch bedrohten die Krieger mit todtverkündendem Blicke --
Ha, da floht Ihr zurück, noch eh’ wir die Schwerter entblößten ! --
Franken, Euch blieb kein Schwert! Ihr habt nur blutige Beile,
Um wohlthätige Fürsten und treue, verrathene Helden,
Waffenberaubte Krieger und Priester der Gottheit zu morden!

Confirmed with Gedichte von Fridr. Baron de la Motte-Fouqué, Neueste Auflage, Wien: Bey B. Ph. Bauer, 1816, pages 6-7

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Karl, Freiherr de La Motte-Fouqué (1777 - 1843), "Ausforderung", subtitle: "Nach dem Gefechte am 2. Julius 1794" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Challenge", subtitle: "After the battle on the 2nd of July 1794.", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2015-10-21
Line count: 9
Word count: 82

Challenge

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Franconians, where was your sword?  To be sure you sent fatal thundering,
So that riders and steeds writhed, shattered in the dust.
But when we approached in the solemn splendour of our weapons --
The horses rushed forward in a rage, their fluttering manes waving high,
And you were threatened by warriors with death-prophecies in their eyes --
Ha, then you fell back, even before we unsheathed our swords! --
Franconians, no swords remained for you!  You have only bloody axes,
With which to murder benevolent rulers and faithful, betrayed heroes,
Disarmed warriors and priests of the Godhead!

Subtitle: "After the battle on the 2nd of July 1794."

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Karl, Freiherr de La Motte-Fouqué (1777 - 1843), "Ausforderung", subtitle: "Nach dem Gefechte am 2. Julius 1794"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2015-10-21
Line count: 9
Word count: 95