Der Ring
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG FRE
Ein fremder Kavalier
Stieg ab vom schwarzen Roß,
Trat in den Königssaal
Mit andern Herren groß.
Derselbe Kavalier
Trug einen Edelstein,
Wie man noch keinen sah,
Von wundersamem Schein.
Ein Stein von hohem Wert
In Königs Krone saß,
Doch schien vor diesem er
Ein mattgeschliffen Glas.
Der König bot ihm Gold,
Er bot ihm Leut' und Land,
Doch lassen wollt' er nicht
Den edlen Diamant.
Der König, des erbost,
Spricht zu dem Hauptmann sein:
"Bringt mir des Mannes Hand
Samt seinem Edelstein!"
Der Hauptmann reckt das Schwert,
Haut nach des Mannes Hand,
Doch statt des Kavaliers
Der Teufel vor ihm stand.
Glut strömt aus seinem Ring,
Zur Hölle wächst der Stein,
Schleußt Burg und König bald
Samt allen Dienern ein.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The ring", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La bague", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2008-08-01
Line count: 28
Word count: 120
The ring
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
A foreign squire
Dismounted from his black steed,
He stepped into the King’s Hall
With other great lords.
This selfsame squire
Wore a gemstone
The like of which had never been seen,
Of a wonderful glow.
A gemstone of great worth
Was set in the King’s crown,
But before this one [belonging to the squire]
It seemed only dully cut glass.
The King offered the squire gold,
He offered him people and land,
But the squire did not want to give up
His precious diamond.
The King, angry over that,
Spoke to his captain:
“Bring me that man’s hand
Complete with the jewel!”
The captain drew his sword
And struck at the man’s hand,
But instead of the squire
The devil was standing before him.
Fire streamed from his ring,
The stone grew into hell,
It soon swallowed up the castle,
The King and all his servants.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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:
This text was added to the website: 2014-08-12
Line count: 28
Word count: 147