by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Gesang der Geister über den Wassern (Des Menschen Seele gleicht dem Wasser)
 (Sung text for setting by E. Schneider)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA NOR
Des Menschen Seele
Gleicht dem Wasser:
Vom Himmel kommt es,
Zum Himmel steigt es,
Und wieder nieder
Zur Erde muß es,
Ewig wechselnd.

 ... 

Seele des Menschen,
Wie gleichst du dem Wasser!
Schicksal des Menschen,
Wie gleichst du dem Wind!

Composition:

    Set to music by Enjott Schneider (b. 1950), "Gesang der Geister über den Wassern (Des Menschen Seele gleicht dem Wasser)", 2020, stanzas 1,6 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from Lieder der Natur, no. 3, confirmed with a CD booklet

Text Authorship:

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) , "Gezang der geesten over de wateren", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Shawn Thuris) , "Song of the spirits over the waters", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Chant des esprits sur les eaux", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Canto degli spiriti sopra le acque", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Martin-Beatus Meier , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 122