Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
If you wish to reprint translations, please use the Reprint Basket (upper right hand corner).
Reminder: You must always use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Groß ist der Herr! Die Himmel ohne Zahl
Sind Säle seiner Burg;
Sein Wagen Sturm und donnerndes Gewölk',
Und Blitze sein Gespann.
Die Morgenröth' ist nur ein Wiederschein
Von seines Kleides Saum;
Und gegen seinen Glanz ist Dämmerung
Der Sonne flammend Licht.
Er sieht mit gnäd'gem Blick zur Erd' herab:
Sie grünet, blüht und lacht.
Er schilt: es fähret Feur vom Felsen auf,
Und Meer und Himmel bebt.
Lobt den gewaltigen, den großen Herrn,
Ihr Lichter seiner Burg!
Ihr Sonnenheere! flammt zu seinem Ruhm!
Ihr Erden, singt sein Lob!
...
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-4 of the original text.
Note: This is the original version of the poem, recovered from Kleist's manuscript by Wilhelm Körte. Kleist's poems published earlier were edited by Karl Wilhelm Ramler and contain several changes from Ramler's hand; see below.
Composition:
- Set to music by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Gott in der Natur", op. posth. 133, D 757 (1822), published 1839, first performed 1827, stanzas 1-4 [ ssaa quartet with piano ], A. Diabelli & Co., VN 6264, Wien
Text Authorship:
- sometimes misattributed to Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (1719 - 1803)
- by Ewald Christian von Kleist (1715 - 1759), "Hymne", written 1758, first published 1759
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "God in de natuur", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Great is the Lord! The heavens without number", copyright ©
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Dieu dans la nature", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Thierry Morice , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 68
Word count: 403
Groot is de Heer! De heem'len zonder tal Zijn zalen in zijn burcht, Zijn wagen storm en zwarte donderwolk, En bliksems zijn gespan. Het morgenrood is slechts weerspiegeling Van 't randje van zijn kleed. En naast zijn schittering is schemerlicht Het vlammend licht der zon. Hij ziet met milde blik op d' aarde neer, Zij tooit zich, bloeit en lacht. Hij fronst, er schiet een vuur de rotsen uit, De zee, de hemel beeft. Loof luid de machtige, de grote Heer, Gij, lichten van zijn burcht, Gij, zonnelegers, schitter Hem ter eer, Gij, aardes, zing zijn lof.
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-4 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2012 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) misattributed to Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (1719 - 1803) and by Ewald Christian von Kleist (1715 - 1759), "Hymne", written 1758, first published 1759
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2012-01-25
Line count: 16
Word count: 97