Da die Heimat, -- o Vater, -- da Gott
Von der Tochter verlanget den Tod,
[Dein Gelübde den Feinden gab Schmerz:
Hier -- entblösst ist's -- durchbohre mein Herz!]1

Und die Stimme der Klagen ist stumm,
Und mein Werk auf den Bergen ist um;
Wird die Hand, die ich liebe, mich weih'n,
Kann der Tod ja nicht schmerzlich mir seyn!

Und das schwör' ich dir treulich und gut,
Daß so rein ist mein kindliches Blut,
Als der Segen, den strömend es fleht,
Als hienieden mein letztes Gebet.

Ob die Jungfrau Jerusalems klagt,
Sey der Richter, der Held nicht verzagt;
Der Triumph kam durch mich euch herbey,
Und mein Vater, die Heimath sind frey!

Wenn das Blut, das du gabst, ist entwallt,
Die du liebtest, die Stimme, verhallt,
[Sey gedenk mein]2, die Ruhm dir erwarb,
Und vergiß nicht, daß lächelnd ich starb!

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Julius Körner (translator), Lord Byron’s Poesien, Erstes Bändchen, Zwickau: im Verlage der Gebrüder Schumann, 1821, page 12-13

¹ Schumann: "Dein Gelübde vom Feind uns befreit,/ Durchbohr' mich, ich stehe bereit!"
² Schumann: "Denk' meiner"

Text Authorship:

• by Karl Julius Körner (1793 - 1873), "Die Tochter Jephta's", appears in Israelitische Gesänge, no. 7, first published 1821 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

Based on:

• a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Jeptha's Daughter", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 7
  • Go to the text page.

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

• by Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Die Tochter Jephta's", op. 100 no. 5, published 1839 [ voice and piano ], from Israelitsche Gesänge von Lord Byron mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 5, Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Die Tochter Jephtas", op. 95 no. 1 (1849), published 1851 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Gesänge aus Lord Byrons Hebräischen Gesängen, no. 1, Bonn, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Jephta's dochter", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Jephta's daughter", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Alberto Pedrotti , Margo Briessinck , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 140

Since our homeland, -- oh father, -- since God
Demands death of your daughter,
[Your solemn promise gave pain to the foes:
Here -- it is uncovered -- pierce my heart through!]1

And the voice of lamentation is mute,
And my work upon the mountains is done;
If the hand that I love consecrates me,
Then death cannot be painful to me!

And I swear to you faithfully and well,
That my childish blood is as pure
As the blessing for which it pleads as it streams forth,
As my last prayer here on earth.

Though the virgin of Jerusalem laments,
The judge, the hero should not be cast down;
Through me the triumph came to you,
And my father, my homeland are free!

When the blood that you gave has surged out,
When the voice that you loved has died away,
[Remember me]2, who secured honour for you,
And do not forget that I died smiling!