To the battlefield, to the battlefield! The spirits of revenge are urging us

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by (Karl) Theodor Körner (1791 - 1813)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Lied vor der Schlacht

(Sung text for setting by J. Lang)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

In's Feld, in's Feld! Die Rachegeister mahnen.
    Auf, deutsches Volk, zum Krieg!
In's Feld, in's Feld! Hoch flattern unsre Fahnen,
    Sie führen uns zum Sieg.

Klein ist die Schaar; doch groß ist das Vertrauen
    Auf den gerechten Gott!
Wo seine Engel ihre Vesten bauen,
    Sind Höllenkünste Spott.

Gebt kein Pardon! Könnt ihr das Schwert nicht heben,
    So würg't sie ohne Scheu;
Und hoch verkauf't den letzten Tropfen Leben!
    Der Tod macht Alle frei.

 ... 

Mit Gott! -- Einst geht, hoch über Feindesleichen,
    Der Stern des Friedens auf;
Dann pflanzen wir ein weißes Siegeszeichen
    Am freien Rheinstrom auf.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3,5 of the original text.

Composition:

Josephine Lang

Text Authorship:

by (Karl) Theodor Körner (1791 - 1813), "Lied der schwarzen Jäger", appears in Leier und Schwert

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2016-12-14
Line count: 20
Word count: 116

Song before the battle

(Sung text translation for setting by J. Lang)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

To the battlefield, to the battlefield! The spirits of revenge are urging us.
    Arise, German people, to war!
To the battlefield, to the battlefield!  Our flags are fluttering aloft;
    They shall lead us to victory.

Small is our troop; but great is our faith
    In our righteous God!
Where His angels build their fortresses,
    The arts of hell are made into a mockery.

Do not grant any pardons! If you cannot lift your sword
    Then strangle them without timidity;
And sell dearly your last drop of life!
    Death makes all into free men.

 ... 

With God! -- Sometime, over the corpses of our enemies,
    The star of peace shall rise;
Then we shall plant the white symbol of victory
    Along the banks of the free Rhine.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3,5 of the original text.

Translated titles:
"Lied der schwarzen Jäger" = "Song of the black hunters"
"Lied vor der Schlacht" = "Song before the battle"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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 (Karl) Theodor Körner (1791 - 1813), "Lied der schwarzen Jäger", appears in Leier und Schwert
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2016-12-14
Line count: 20
Word count: 154