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Sieht uns der Blick gehoben, So glaubt das Herz die Schwere zu besiegen; Zu den Himmlischen oben Will es dringen und fliegen. Der Mensch, empor geschwungen, Glaubt schon, er sey durch die Wolken gedrungen. Bald muß er staunend merken, Wie ewig fest wir auf uns selbst begründet. Dann strebt in sichern Werken Sein ganzes Thun, verbündet, Vom Grunde nie zu wanken, Und baut wie Felsen den Bau der Gedanken. Und dann in neuen Freuden Sieht er die kühnen Klippen spottend hangen; Vergessend aller Leiden, Fühlt er einzig Verlangen, An dem Abgrund zu scherzen, Denn hoher Muth schwillt ihm in hohem Herzen.
Confirmed with Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1802. Herausgegeben von A. W. Schlegel und L. Tieck. Tübingen, in der Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1802, page 134; and with Friedrich Schlegel's sämmtliche Werke. Erster Band. Gedichte. Berlin, bei Julius Eduard Hitzig, 1809, page 13.
Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Schlegel (1772 - 1829), "Die Berge", appears in Abendröte, in Erster Teil, no. 2, first published 1802 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Die Berge", op. 57 (Drei Lieder) no. 2, D 634 (1819-23), published 1826 [ voice, piano ], Thaddäus Weigl, VN 2495, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Les muntanyes", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De bergen", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The mountains", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Les montagnes", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 101
If our glance sees us uplifted, Then the heart believes it can conquer the heaviness, To the Heavenly Ones above It desires to surge and to fly; The man swung upward Already believes he has penetrated the clouds. Soon he must realize with astonishment, How eternally firmly we are based upon ourselves; Then, all of his actions strive In definite works, determined Never to falter from the basis [of his principles], And [he] builds the edifice of thoughts like rocky crags. And then in new joys He sees the bold cliffs mockingly standing; Forgetting all suffering, He feels only one yearning -- To jest at the cliff-edge, For high courage swells within his exalted heart.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Schlegel (1772 - 1829), "Die Berge", appears in Abendröte, in Erster Teil, no. 2, first published 1802
This text was added to the website: 2013-10-25
Line count: 18
Word count: 114