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To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Lau Kanen

Es fürchte die Götter
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Es fürchte die Götter
Das Menschengeschlecht!
Sie halten die Herrschaft
In ewigen Händen,
Und können sie brauchen,
Wie's ihnen gefällt.

Der fürchte sie doppelt
Den je sie erheben!
Auf Klippen und Wolken
Sind Stühle bereitet
Um goldene Tische.

Erhebet ein Zwist sich,
So stürzen die Gäste,
Geschmäht und geschändet
In nächtliche Tiefen,
Und harren vergebens,
Im Finstern gebunden,
Gerechten Gerichtes.

Sie aber, sie bleiben
In ewigen Festen
An goldenen Tischen.
Sie schreiten vom Berge
Zu Bergen hinüber:
Aus Schlünden der Tiefe
Dampft ihnen der Atem
Erstickter Titanen,
Gleich Opfergerüchen,
Ein leichtes Gewölke.

Es wenden die Herrscher
Ihr segnendes Auge
Von ganzen Geschlechtern
Und meiden, im Enkel
Die ehmals geliebten,
Still redenden Züge
Des Ahnherrn zu sehn.

So sangen die Parzen;
Es horcht der Verbannte,
In nächtlichen Höhlen
Der Alte die Lieder,
Denkt Kinder und Enkel
Und schüttelt das Haupt.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Iphigenie auf Tauris, Act 4, lines 1726-1766 [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):

  • by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Gesang der Parzen", op. 89 (1882), published 1883 [ chorus, orchestra ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Lied der Parzen", published 1809 [ vocal quartet ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Gezang der Parcen", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chant des Parques", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Tema gli dei", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 41
Word count: 139

Gezang der Parcen
Language: Dutch (Nederlands)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Bevreesd voor de goden
Zij 't mensengeslacht!
Zij blijven de heersers
Ten eeuwigen dage,
En kunnen beschikken
Zoals 't hun bevalt.
 
Hij duchte hen dubbel
Die zij ooit verheffen!
Op klippen en wolken
Staan stoelen te wachten
Rond puur gouden tafels.
 
Ontstaat er een twist soms,
Dan storten de gasten,
Gesmaad en geschandvlekt,
In nachtzwarte diepten,
En wachten daar kansloos,
In 't duister gebonden,
Op eerlijke rechtspraak.
 
Zij echter, zij blijven
Voortdurend maar feesten
Aan puur gouden tafels.
Zij schrijden van bergtop
Naar bergtop, eenvoudig;
Uit peilloze diepten
Omwalmt hen de lucht van
Verstikte Titanen,
Als brandoffergeuren,
Een zwevende nevel.
 
De heersers, zij wenden
Hun zeeg'nende oog af
Van ganse geslachten
En willen in 't kleinkind
De vroeger geliefde,
Stil sprekende trekken
Der vaad'ren niet zien.
 
Zo zongen de Parcen;
De grijsaard, verbannen,
Ín nachtlijke holen,
Beluistert de lied'ren,
Hij denkt aan zijn nakroost
En schudt dan zijn hoofd.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2015 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.

    Lau Kanen.  Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com


    If the copyright-holder(s) are unreachable for three business days, please write to: licenses@email.lieder.example.net


Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, appears in Iphigenie auf Tauris, Act 4, lines 1726-1766
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-05-06
Line count: 41
Word count: 149

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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