Det var en gang en konge i Thule

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Marianne Beate Kielland

Der König in Thule

(Sung text for setting by J. Rheinberger)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG IRI ITA NOR POR SPA

Es war ein König in Thule
Gar treu bis an das Grab,
Dem sterbend seine Buhle
Einen goldnen Becher gab.

Es ging ihm nichts darüber,
Er leert' ihn jeden Schmaus;
Die Augen gingen ihm über,
So oft er trank daraus.

Und als er kam zu sterben,
Zählt' er seine Städt' im Reich,
Gönnt' alles seinem Erben,
Den Becher nicht zugleich.

Er saß beim Königsmahle,
Die Ritter um ihn her,
Auf hohem Vätersaale,
Dort auf dem Schloß am Meer.

Dort stand der alte Zecher,
Trank letzte Lebensgluth,
Und warf den heiligen Becher
Hinunter in die Fluth.

Er sah ihn stürzen, trinken,
Und sinken tief ins Meer.
Die Augen täten ihm sinken;
Trank nie einen Tropfen mehr.

Note: the text was first published in a different version in Volks- und andere Lieder, mit Begleitung des Forte piano, In Musik gesetzt von Siegmund Freyherrn von Seckendorff, Dritte Sammlung. Dessau, 1782, pages 6-9; see below.

See also "Het dartele water bruiselt", a poem by Pol de Mont written to be sung to Schumann's song "Der König von Thule".

Composition:

Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger

Zwei Lieder aus Goethes Faust

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Der König in Thule", written 1774, appears in Faust, in Der Tragödie erster Teil (Part I), Margarete's song, first published 1782

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
CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jan Evangelista Nečas) , "Král v Thule"
CZE Czech (Čeština) (Otokar Fischer) , "Král v Thule"
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De koning van Thule", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "There was a King of Thule", copyright ©
ENG English [singable] (Arthur Westbrook) , "The King of Thule"
IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , "Bhí rí ann fadó in Thule", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Il re in Tule", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
POR Portuguese (Português) (Margarida Moreno) , "O rei em Thule", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Diego Gonzales) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 120

Kongen i Thule

(Sung text translation for setting by J. Rheinberger)

See original

Language: Norwegian (Bokmål) after the German (Deutsch)

Det var en gang en konge i Thule,
trofast inn til døden,
til hvem hans døende elskerinne gav
et gyllent beger.

Intet var ham mer kjært,
han tømte det på hvert kalas:
Og øynene rant fulle av tårer
hver gang han drakk av det.

Og da han lå for døden,
telte han byene i sitt rike,
alt unte han sine arvinger
- bortsett fra begeret.

Han satt ved kongemåltidet
med sine riddere rundt seg,
han satt på den høye fedretronen
på slottet ved havet.

Der stod den gamle vinkjenner
og tok den siste slurk av livets glød,
så kastet han det hellige begeret
ut og ned i floden.

Han så det styrte, fylles
og synke dypt i havet.
Hans øyne lukket seg sakte
og aldri drakk han noen dråpe mer.

Translation of title "Der König in Thule" = "Kongen i Thule"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to Norwegian (Bokmål) copyright © 2024 by Marianne Beate Kielland, (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), "Der König in Thule", written 1774, appears in Faust, in Der Tragödie erster Teil (Part I), Margarete's song, first published 1782
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This text was added to the website: 2024-02-17
Line count: 24
Word count: 129