O köstlicher Tokayer!
O königlicher Wein!
Du stimmest meine Leyer
Zu seltnen Raimerey'n.
Mit lang' entbehrter Wonne
Und [neu erwachtem]1 Scherz
Erwärmst du, gleich der Sonne,
Mein [halb erstorbnes]2 Herz:
Du stimmest meine Leyer
Zu seltnen Reimerey'n
O köstlicher Tokayer!
O königlicher Wein!

O köstlicher Tokayer!
O königlicher Wein!
Du gießest Kraft und Feuer
[Durch Mark und durch]3 Gebein.
Ich fühle neues Leben
Durch meine Adern sprühn,
Und deine Nektarreben
In meinem Busen glühn.
Du gießest Kraft und Feuer
[Durch Mark und durch]3 Gebein,
O köstlicher Tokayer!
O königlicher Wein!

O köstlicher Tokayer!
O königlicher Wein!
Dir soll, als Gramzerstreuer,
Dieß Lied geweihet seyn!
In Schwermuthsvollen Launen
Beflügelst du das Blut;
Bey Blonden und bey Braunen
Giebst du dem Blödsinn Muth.
Dir soll, als Gramzerstreuer,
Dies Lied geweihet seyn,
O köstlicher Tokayer!
O königlicher Wein!

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Sämmtliche Gedichte Gabrielens von Baumberg. Wien, gedruckt bey Joh. Thom. Edl. v. Trattnern, k.k. Hofbuchdrucker und Buchhändler, 1800, pages 245-246; and with Wiener Musenalmanach für das Jahr 1796. Herausgegeben von Gottfried Leon. Wien, bey Jos. Camesina & Comp., pages 109-110.

¹ Schubert: "neuerwachtem"
² First edition: "halberstorbnes"
³ First edition: "In's Mark und in's"

Note: First published in the Wiener Musenalmanach under the pseudonym v. Traubenberg; Schubert used the 1800 edition of Baumberg's collected poems.

Text Authorship:

• by Gabriele von Baumberg (1766 - 1839), "Lob des Tokayers", first published 1796 [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), "Lob des Tokayers", op. posth. 118 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4, D 248 (1815), published 1829 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Elogi del vi de Tokay", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Lof van de Tokayer", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "In praise of Tokay wine", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Louange du Tokay", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 139

Oh valuable Tokay, oh royal wine,
You give voice to my lyre, causing rare versifying.
With a delight missing for so long
And a newly awakened sense of fun,
Like the sun, you warm up
My half-frozen heart.
You give voice to my lyre, causing rare versifying,
Oh valuable Tokay, oh royal wine!

Oh valuable Tokay, oh royal wine,
You pour power and fire through my marrow and limbs.
I feel a new life
Sparkling through my veins
And your nectar grapes
Glow in my breast.
You pour power and fire through my marrow and limbs.
Oh valuable Tokay, oh royal wine!

Oh valuable Tokay, oh royal wine,
As destroyer of sorrow, we should dedicate this song to you!
In the grief-laden mood
You give wings to our blood,
To blondes and brunettes
You give the courage to mess about.
As destroyer of sorrow, we should dedicate this song to you,
Oh valuable Tokay, oh royal wine!