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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Aus wie vielen Elementen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Aus wie vielen Elementen
Soll ein echtes Lied sich nähren,
Daß es Laien gern empfinden,
Meister es mit Freuden hören?

Liebe sei vor allen Dingen
Unser Thema, wenn wir singen;
Kann sie gar das Lied durchdringen,
[Wird's um desto besser]1 klingen.

Dann muß Klang der Gläser tönen
Und Rubin des Weins erglänzen:
Denn für Liebende, für Trinker
[Winkt man mit den schönsten]2 Kränzen.

Waffenklang wird auch gefodert,
Daß auch die Drommete schmettre;
Daß, wenn Glück zu Flammen lodert,
[Sich im Sieg der]3 Held vergöttre.

Dann zuletzt ist unerläßlich,
Daß der Dichter manches hasse;
Was unleidlich ist und häßlich,
[Nicht wie Schönes leben]4 lasse.

Weiß der Sänger, dieser Viere
Urgewalt'gen Stoff zu mischen,
[Hafis gleich wird er die]5 Völker
Ewig freuen und erfrischen.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   K. Zelter 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Zelter: "Desto besser wird es"
2 Zelter: "Warten immergüne"
3 Zelter: "Siegreich unsern"
4 Zelter: "Leben nicht wie Schönes"
5 Zelter: "Wird er aller Lande"

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Elemente", written 1814, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 1. Buch des Sängers -- Moganni Nameh [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 Karl Friedrich Zelter (1758 - 1832), "Liederstoff", 1815, published 1826 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], from Tafel-Lieder für Männerstimmen: Für die Liedertafel zu Berlin, von Carl Fried. Zelter. Heft V, no. 1, Berlin, T. Trautwein [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Elements", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Éléments", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2008-12-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 127

Éléments
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
De combien d'éléments
Doit être nourri une chant authentique
Pour que les profanes en ressentent du plaisir,
Et que les maîtres l'écoutent avec joie ?

L'amour, avant toute chose, sera
Notre thème quand nous chantons ;
S'il peut imprégner tout le chant,
Il sonnera d'autant mieux.

Ensuite le bruit des verres doit retentir
Et le rubis du vin briller :
Car pour les amants, pour les buveurs,
On agite les plus belles couronnes.

Le vacarme des armes doit aussi être exigé,
Et aussi la trompette doit retentir ;
Pour que quand le bonheur flamboie en flammes,
Le héros soit déifié dans la victoire.

Alors finalement il est indispensable
Que le poète haïsse beaucoup ;
Ce qui est déplaisant et laid
Ne doit pas être laissé en vie comme le beau.

Si le chanteur sait avec ces quatre
Éléments primaires fondre un mélange,
Comme Hafez il donnera au peuple
Toujours de la joie et du réconfort.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2016 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Elemente", written 1814, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 1. Buch des Sängers -- Moganni Nameh
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2016-04-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 150

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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