The king was sitting enjoying a jolly banquet
With ladies and knights surrounding him,
The goblet was doing the merry rounds
And many a bowl was emptied as people drank.
Then was heard the sound of golden strings,
Which offered sweeter refreshment than golden wine,
And look! Three unknown singers step forward,
Bowing as they enter the hall.

"Welcome, you sons of song!"
Begins the king, in a good mood,
"In whose breasts lives the kingdom of music,
Where you keep the secret of song!
If you would like to take up the challenge of a competition
That would give us very great pleasure,
And whoever emerges as the victor
Will be allowed to adorn our court."

As he says this the first one touches the strings,
He opens people's eyes to the primitive world,
To the grey beginning of all the ages
Back to which he directs the attention of the audience. 
He reports how the new-born
World was first wrestled out of chaos.
His song pleases most of the listeners,
Who willingly follow him with their comprehension.

In order to stimulate more delight among the audience
The second one strikes up with a funny tale
About gnomes, fairies and their treasures,
And about an army of green dwarves;
He sings of a number of miraculous things,
A number of slyly contrived pranks;
Jokes are the order of the day
And each mouth in the hall bursts into laughter.

Now it is the turn of the third one.
And gently, out of a deeply moved heart
He breathes out a song of love and devotion
And of the pain and pleasure of longing.
And no sooner do his strings resound
Than each face turns down, people look at their laps,
And tears of feeling are wrung from
The transfigured eyes.

And a deep silence holds sway in the hall
As the music of his song died away - 
Then the king stands up, leaving the banqueting table,
And he reaches out his hand to the third singer:
"Stay with us, friend! You have succeeded.
It is you that has earned the prize;
The most beautiful song was sung by the one
Who has stirred our hearts with melancholy."