The shield of German honour | We stand before God and vow

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by Rudolph von Gottschall (1823 - 1909)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Schild der deutschen Ehre

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Wir stehn vor Gott und schwören,
Das Schwert in uns'rer Hand,
Dir einzig zu gehören,
Du theures Vaterland;
Zu leben und zu sterben
Als deines Ruhmes Erben.
Hell tönt vom Fels zum Meere
Der Schild der deutschen Ehre.

Sowahr auf andern Wegen
Wir unser Heil gesucht,
Erhofft des Friedens Segen
Und edler Arbeit Frucht,
Soll jetzt den Siegesfahnen
Das Schwert die Pfade bahnen.
Hell tönt vom Fels zum Meere
Der Schild der deutschen Ehre.

Sowahr sich ein Versucher
Der deutschen Treue naht:
Wir zahlen heim mit Wucher
Den Willen und die That.
Ein Weltgericht verkünde
Den Sturz gekrönter Sünde!
Hell tönt vom Fels zum Meere
Der Schild der deutschen Ehre.

Confirmed with Rudolph Gottschall, Kriegslieder, Berlin: Franz Lipperheide, 1870, pages 15-16

Text Authorship:

by Rudolph von Gottschall (1823 - 1909), "Der Schild der deutschen Ehre", subtitle: "August 1870", written 1870, appears in Kriegslieder, first published 1870 [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 Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (1824 - 1910), "Der Schild der deutschen Ehre", op. 103 (Männerchöre [published first as Acht Gesänge, without #9]) no. 4 (1870) [ four-part men's chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The shield of German honour", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-11-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 110

The shield of German honour

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

We stand before God and vow,
Our sword in our hand,
To belong only to you,
You faithful fatherland;
To live and to die
As the legatees of your glory.
Loudly rings from the rocks to the sea
The shield of German honour.

As truly as upon other paths
We searched for our salvation,
Hoped for the blessing of peace
And the fruits of noble labours,
Thus shall the sword now
Break paths for the flags of victory.
Loudly rings from the rocks to the sea
The shield of German honour.

As truly as a tempter
Approaches the German faithfulness:
We shall pay back with interest
His intention and his action.
May a last judgement proclaim
The fall of sin, crowned with success!
Loudly rings from the rocks to the sea
The shield of German honour.

Text 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Rudolph von Gottschall (1823 - 1909), "Der Schild der deutschen Ehre", subtitle: "August 1870", written 1870, appears in Kriegslieder, first published 1870
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-07-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 136