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Wenn der uralte, Heilige Vater Mit gelassener Hand Aus rollenden Wolken Segnende Blitze Über die Erde sä't, Küß' ich den letzten Saum seines Kleides, Kindliche Schauer [Treu]1 in der Brust. Denn mit Göttern Soll sich nicht messen Irgend ein Mensch. Hebt er sich aufwärts, Und berührt Mit dem Scheitel die Sterne, Nirgends haften dann Die unsichern Sohlen, Und mit ihm spielen Wolken und Winde. Steht er mit festen, Markigen Knochen Auf der wohlgegründeten, Dauernden Erde; Reicht er nicht auf, Nur mit der Eiche Oder der Rebe Sich zu vergleichen. Was unterscheidet Götter von Menschen? Daß viele Wellen Vor jenen wandeln, Ein ewiger Strom: Uns hebt die Welle, Verschlingt die Welle, Und wir versinken. Ein kleiner Ring Begränzt unser Leben, Und viele Geschlechter Reihen sich dauernd An ihres Daseyns Unendliche Kette.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand. Zweyter Band. Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G.Cotta'schen Buchhandlung. 1827, pages 84-85; and with Goethe's Schriften, Achter Band, Leipzig, bey Georg Joachim Göschen, 1789, pages 212-214.
1 Schubert: "Tief"Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), title 1: "Grenzen der Menschheit", title 2: "Gränzen der Menschheit", written 1780, first published 1789 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Alban Maria Johannes Berg (1885 - 1935), "Grenzen der Menschheit", 1902 [ voice and piano ], from Jugendlieder, Vol. II (1904-08), no. 62 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Anders Eliasson (1947 - 2013), "Grenzen der Menschheit", 1993, published 1995 [ voice and piano ], from Fyra sånger till text av Goethe, no. 3, Warner/Chappell Music Skandinavia [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Hess (1912 - 1968), "Grenzen der Menschheit", op. 58, published 1966 [ mixed chorus and orchestra ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Gränzen der Menschheit", op. 63 no. 2, published 1857 [ four-part men's chorus ], from Drei Gedichte von Göthe für vierstimmigen Männerchor, no. 2, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wilhelm Ludwig Kaun (1863 - 1932), "Grenzen der Menschheit" [ men's chorus and piano or small orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Tauno Pylkkänen (1918 - 1980), "Wenn der uralte", alternate title: "Grenzen der Menschheit", 1951 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Grenzen der Menschheit", D 716 (1821), published 1832 [ bass, piano ], A. Diabelli & Co., VN 4014, Wien (Nachlaß-Lieferung 14) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by George Stern (1867 - 19??), "Grenzen der Menschheit", published 1905 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Grenzen der Menschheit", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 51, Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Grenzen der mensheid", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Limits of Mankind", copyright ©
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Ihmisyyden rajat"
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Limites de l'humanité", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Limiti dell'umano", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (unknown or anonymous translator)
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 42
Word count: 130
Quan l’ancià Pare Sant amb la seva mà plàcida, des dels núvols retronants, escampa llamps de benedicció damunt la terra, jo beso la darrera orla del seu mantell amb un estremiment infantívol al fons del cor. Car amb els déus no s’ha de mesurar qualsevol home. Si ell s’enlaira i toca les estrelles amb el seu coronell, llavors no pot posar enlloc els seus peus insegurs i juguen amb ell els núvols i el vent. Si per contra, amb ferms, vigorosos membres, resta damunt la sòlida, estable terra, no arriba a comparar-se amb el roure o el cep. Què diferencia els déus dels humans? Que moltes onades passen davant nostre en un corrent etern: primer l’onada ens eleva però després ens engoleix i acabem enfonsant-nos. Un petit cercle limita la nostra vida i moltes generacions s’alineen contínuament a la cadena sense fi de llur existència.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "Grenzen der Menschheit" = "Límits de la humanitat"Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2016 by Salvador Pila, (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), title 1: "Grenzen der Menschheit", title 2: "Gränzen der Menschheit", written 1780, first published 1789
This text was added to the website: 2016-11-16
Line count: 42
Word count: 145