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.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Wenn der uralte,
Heilige Vater
Mit gelassener Hand
Aus rollenden Wolken
Segnende Blitze
Über die Erde sä't,
Küß' ich den letzten
Saum seines Kleides,
Kindliche Schauer
Treu in der Brust.
Denn mit Göttern
Soll sich nicht messen
Irgend ein Mensch.
Hebt er sich aufwärts,
Und berührt
Mit dem Scheitel die Sterne,
Nirgends haften dann
Die unsichern Sohlen,
Und mit ihm spielen
Wolken und Winde.
Steht er mit festen,
Markigen Knochen
Auf der wohlgegründeten,
Dauernden Erde;
Reicht er nicht auf,
Nur mit der Eiche
Oder der Rebe
Sich zu vergleichen.
Was unterscheidet
Götter von Menschen?
Daß viele Wellen
Vor jenen wandeln,
Ein ewiger Strom:
Uns hebt die Welle,
Verschlingt die Welle,
Und wir versinken.
...
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-4 of the original text.
Composition:
- Set to music by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Gränzen der Menschheit", op. 63 no. 2, published 1857, stanzas 1-4 [ four-part men's chorus ], from Drei Gedichte von Göthe für vierstimmigen Männerchor, no. 2, Mainz, Schott
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), title 1: "Grenzen der Menschheit", title 2: "Gränzen der Menschheit", written 1780, first published 1789
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Manuel Capdevila i Font) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Grenzen der mensheid", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Limits of Mankind", copyright ©
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Ihmisyyden rajat"
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Limites de l'humanité", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Limiti dell'umano", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (unknown or anonymous translator)
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 42
Word count: 131
Quando l'antico
Padre celeste
Con mano serena
Da nubi tonanti
Benedicenti lampi
Sopra la terra sparge,
mi chino a baciare
l'estremo lembo della Sua veste,
e un infantile tremore
mi riempie il cuore.
Perché con gli dei
Non deve misurarsi
Nessuno fra gli uomini.
Se in alto si leva
E tocca, qualcuno,
Col capo le stelle,
allora in nessun luogo
poggiano i suoi piedi insicuri,
e di lui gioco si prendono
nuvole e venti.
Se con membra robuste,
sta vigoroso
sulla sicura
stabile terra,
il paragone
non regge
con la quercia
o anche con la vite.
Cosa allora distingue
Dei e uomini?
Che molte onde
Davanti a loro passano
In eterna corrente:
Noi l'onda innalza,
e poi ci sommerge,
facendoci affondare.
...
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-4 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2008 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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), title 1: "Grenzen der Menschheit", title 2: "Gränzen der Menschheit", written 1780, first published 1789
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-24
Line count: 42
Word count: 140