Wie erhöht, Weltherrscher
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Wie erhöht, Weltherrscher,
Deine Bewundrung den Geist des Staubs!
Denket er dich, Herrlicher, welche Gefühl
Flammt in ihm! welcher Gedank' hebt ihn, denket er dich!
Ist ein Mensch glückselig?
Einer der Waller am Grabe das?
Du, der es ist, rede, dich frag' ich allein:
Nennest du, würdigest du etwas Seligkeit dann,
In dem Staub' hier unten,
Dann noch zu nennen, wenn Gottes Wink
Wonnegefühl seiner Vollkommenheit dir
Sendet, du freudig erschrickst über Gott, wie im Traum,
Vor dem Hingang selig?
Fliege durch Welten, und sey der Freund
Derer, die schon Ewigkeit hinter sich sehn,
Dachten, und thaten: du bist nur glückselig selbst dort!
Denn des Herrn Anschauen
Ist es allein, was dir Seligkeit,
Jenes Gefühl seiner Vollkommenheit dir
Giebt, daß du freudig erschrickst über Gott, den du schaust!
H. Nägeli sets stanzas 1-4
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Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Hans Georg Nägeli (1773 - 1836), "Die höchste Glückseligkeit", published 1794, stanzas 1-4 [voice and piano], in Lieder in Musik gesetzt, Erste Sammlung, Zürich, Verlag des Verfassers [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] , Melanie Trumbull
This text was added to the website: 2010-06-23
Line count: 20
Word count: 128
Ruler of the world, how does
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Ruler of the world, how does
Adulation of Thee elevate the spirit of the dust!
If he thinks on Thee, Glorious One, what feelings
Flame within him! what thoughts elevate him, if he thinks on Thee!
Is a man blissfully happy?
Is a pilgrim at the grave that?
You, who are happy, speak; I ask only you:
Do you then still call anything, do you judge anything as felicity
In the dust down here,
When God's sign
Sends you the blissful awareness of His perfection
And you are joyfully startled at the thought of God, as in a dream,
Before your demise?
Fly through worlds and be the friend
Of those, who already see eternity behind them,
Thought, and acted: for you yourself shall only be happy there!
For beholding the Lord
Is alone what gives you felicity,
That feeling of His perfection,
So that you may be joyfully startled by God, whom you see!
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Translations of title(s):
"Die höchste Glückseligkeit" = "The greatest happiness"
"Der Selige" = "The blissful man"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2017-05-13
Line count: 20
Word count: 155