Fahnenlied
Language: German (Deutsch)
Flattre Fahne, flattre, fliege
So im Frieden wie im Kriege,
Führe deine treue Schaar.
Was geschehe, mag geschehen,
Aber glorreich sollst du wehen
Immerdar.
Mög' um uns von Feindesklingen
Sich ein Eisenwall erbau'n,
Eh' wir weichen
Ihren Streichen,
Sollst als Leichen
Du uns schau'n!
Flattre Fahne, flattre, fliege
Wie der Königsadler wiege
Dich in Luft und Sonnengluth,
Nichts die Reinheit dir verderbe,
Und wenn je dich etwas färbe,
Sei es Blut.
Vor Despoten nicht und Sklaven
Wird dem freien Manne grau'n,
Eh' wir weichen
Ihren Streichen,
Sollst als Leichen
Du uns schau'n!
Flattre Fahne, flatt're, fliege
Führe uns durch Kampf zum Siege,
Freudig folgt dir Alles nach.
Besser ist's im Grab' sich betten
Als ein Leben zu erretten,
Voll von Schmach.
Mögen tausend Feindesschwerter
Wild und grimmig nach uns hau'n,
Eh' wir weichen
Ihren Streichen,
Sollst als Leichen
Du uns schau'n!
Confirmed with Johann Nepomuk Vogl, Soldaten-Lieder mit Bildern und Singweisen, Wien: Verlag von Carl Gerold, 1849, pages 8-10.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Song of the flag", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2021-05-03
Line count: 36
Word count: 141
Song of the flag
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Flutter, flag, flutter, fly
In peace as in war,
Lead your faithful regiment.
Whatever shall happen, let it happen,
But gloriously you shall wave
Forevermore.
Let the swords of the enemy
Surround us like a wall of iron;
Ere we retreat
Before their blows,
You shall see us
As corpses.
Flutter flag, flutter, fly[,]
Like the golden eagle soar
In the wind and the heat of the sun,
May nothing taint your purity,
And if anything ever colours you,
May it be blood.
Neither of despots nor of slaves
Shall the free man be terrified;
Ere we retreat
Before their blows,
You shall see us
As corpses.
Flutter flag, flutter, fly[,]
Lead us through battle to victory,
Everything follows you joyfully.
It is better to be bedded in a grave
Than to save a life
Full of disgrace.
May a thousand enemy swords
Hack at us wildly and fiercely,
Ere we retreat
Before their blows,
You shall see us
As corpses.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 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:
This text was added to the website: 2021-05-03
Line count: 36
Word count: 161
