by
Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905)
Nach oben
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Der junge Vogel, der sein Nest
Flugreif zum ersten Mal verlässt
Die Flügelein zu proben,
Der Gimpel und die Nachtigall,
Der Spatz, der Staar, sie streben all'
Nach oben.
Die Flamme, die mir kocht und brät,
Der blaue Rauch, der duftend weht
Aus meinem Pfeifenkloben,
Der Wein sogar, ob schwer, ob leicht
Erwärmend und begeisternd steigt
Nach oben.
Als unser Erdball fertig war
Und als der lichten Englein Schaar
Das Werk begann zu loben,
Sprach Gott: "Ich hab' es gut gemacht",
Und sah auf seiner Erde Pracht
Von oben.
Drum willst du an der Welt dich freu'n,
Am besten wird's von oben sein,
Frisch auf, den Fuss gehoben!
Lass Tintenfass und Bücher ruhn'
Und klimme in den Nägelschuh'n
Nach oben.
Confirmed with Enzian: ein Gaudeamus für Bergsteiger in Poesie und Satyre, Leipzig: A.G. Liebeskind, 1877, page 3.
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) , "Upward", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2020-01-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 120
Upward
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
The young bird who, ready to fly,
Leaves his nest for the first time
To try out its little wings,
The bullfinch and the nightingale,
The sparrow, the starling, they all strive
Upward.
The flame that does my cooking and frying,
The blue smoke that wafts aromatically
From the bowl of my pipe,
The wine even, be it heavy or light,
Warming and delighting one, rises
Upward.
When our terrestrial globe was completed
And when the bright host of angels
Began to praise the work,
God spoke: "I did it well",
And surveyed the splendour of His earth
From on high.
Therefore, if you would find joy in looking at the world,
It would be best to do so from above.
Rouse yourself briskly, lift your feet!
Let the inkwell and the books rest
And in your hobnailed boots climb
Upward.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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: 2020-01-16
Line count: 24
Word count: 141