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Das Fischergewerbe [Giebt]1 rüstigen Muth! Wir haben zum Erbe Die Güter der Fluth. Wir graben nicht Schätze, Wir pflügen kein Feld; Wir erndten im Netze, Wir angeln uns Geld. Wir heben die Reusen Den Schilfbach entlang, Und ruhn bei den Schleusen, Zu sondern den Fang. Goldweiden beschatten Das moosige Dach; Wir schlummern auf Matten Im kühlen Gemach. Mit rothen Korallen Prangt Spiegel und Wand, Den Estrich der Hallen Deckt silberner Sand. Das Gärtchen daneben Grünt ländlich umzäunt Von kreutzenden Stäben Mit Baste vereint. Im Antlitz der Buben Lacht muthiger Sinn; Sie meiden die Stuben Bei Tagesbeginn; Sie tauchen und schwimmen Im eisigen See, Und barfuß erklimmen Sie Klippen voll Schnee. Die Töchter [ergötzen]2 Sich Abends bei Licht, [Wann]3 alles an Netzen Und Maschenwerk flicht. Oft wird mit Gelächter Durchmustert das Dorf; Die Mutter, als Wächter, Schürt nickend den Torf. Oft rudern wir ferne Im wiegenden Kahn; Dann blinken die Sterne So freundlich uns an; Der Mond [aus]4 den Höhen, Der Mond [aus]4 dem Bach, So schnell wir entflöhen, Sie gleiten uns nach. Wir trotzen dem Wetter, Das finster uns droht, [Wann]3 schöpfende Bretter Kaum hemmen den Tod. Wir trotzen auch Wogen Auf krachendem Schiff, In Tiefen gezogen, Geschleudert ans Riff! Der Herr, der in Stürmen Der Mitternacht blitzt, Vermag uns zu schirmen, Und kennt, was uns nützt. Gleich unter dem Flügel Des Ewigen ruht Der [Rasengruft Hügel]5, Das Grab in der Fluth.
C. Loewe sets stanzas 1, 3, 6
F. Schubert sets stanzas 1-2 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
J. Lang sets stanzas 1, 3, 6
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von J.G. von Salis. Neue Auflage. Zürich, bey Orell Füßli und Compagnie. 1808, pages 59-62; with Gedichte von J. G. von Salis. Gesammelt durch seinen Freund Friedrich Matthisson. Zürich, bey Orell, Gessner, Füssli und Compagnie. 1793, pages 71-74; and with Gedichte von J. G. von Salis. Neueste Auflage. Wien 1815. Bey B. Ph. Bauer, pages 54-56.
First published in Musen-Almanach für 1792. Herausgegeben von Joh. Heinr. Voß. Hamburg, bey C. E. Bohn, pages 96-99.
1 Lang: "bringt"2 Salis (1792 and Wien 1815 edition), and Schubert: "ergetzen"
3 Salis (Wien 1815 edition), and Schubert: "Wenn"
4 Salis (1792 and 1793 editions), and Lang: "auf"
5 Salis (1792 edition): "Rasengrufthügel"
Note: Schubert (in his first setting, D. 351) terminates each stanza with the refrain "Tra la la la la la, tra la la la la".
Authorship:
- by Johann Gaudenz Freiherr von Salis-Seewis (1762 - 1834), "Fischerlied", written 1791, first published 1792 [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 Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Fischer Chor", stanzas 1,3,6 [ men's chorus ], unpublished, undated [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Das Fischergewerbe", <<1826, published 1826, stanzas 1,3,6 [ voice and piano ], note: According to the edition Das Loewesche Lied (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, [no year],page 111), the piano accompaniment to this song was composed by F. H. Schneider [sung text checked 2 times]
- by Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker (1844 - 1906), "Fischerlied", 1878, published 1878 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from 6 Lieder für gemischten Chor, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Vincenzo Righini (1756 - 1812), "Fischerlied", published [1804] [ voice and piano ], from Sammlung deutscher und italienischer Gesänge mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, Heft III, no. 2, Leipzig: Bei C. F. Peters (Bureau de Musique.) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Fischerlied", D 351 (1816?), published 1895 [ voice, piano ], first setting [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Fischerlied", D 364 (1816?), published 1897, stanzas 1-2 [ ttbb quartet ], second setting [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Fischerlied", D 562 (1817), published 1895 [ voice, piano ], third setting [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Visserslied", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , copyright ©
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "L'activité du pêcheur", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this text: Richard Morris , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-13
Line count: 64
Word count: 232
The fishing business Keeps you active and courageous! As our inheritance we have The goods of the flood. We do not dig for treasures, We do not plough any fields; We harvest in nets, We angle for our money. We pull up the fish traps Along the stream with reeds growing in it, And sit by the locks To sort the catch. Golden willows shade The moss-covered roof; We sleep on mats In a cool apartment. With their red corals The mirrors and the wall are resplendent, The screed of the hall Is covered in silver sand. The little garden nearby Turns a rural green, fenced off By crossed poles Tied up with bast. On the lads' faces There smiles a courageous attitude. They avoid parlours At the beginning of the day; They dive and swim In the ice-cold lake, And, barefoot, they clamber up Snow-covered rocks. Our daughters take delight In the light at evening time, When everyone is working on the nets Or weaving the meshing. Often, to the sound of laughter, The village is inspected; The mother, as warden, Dozes off as she pokes the peat fire. We often row into the distance In our swaying boat; Then the stars twinkle Down on us in such a friendly way; The moon from the heights, The moon out of the stream, No sooner do we get away Than they glide towards us. We defy the weather, Darkness threatens us, When the paddles for scooping out water Barely hold off death. We also defy waves On the creaking ship, Pulled towards the depths And flung on to the reef! The Lord, who in storms Strikes lightning at midnight, Is able to protect us And knows what we need. We are equally under the wing Of the eternal one, resting there, Whether under a turf mound Or in a grave under water.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Das Fischergewerbe" = "The fishing business"
"Fischer Chor" = "Fishermen's chorus"
"Fischerlied" = "Fisherman's song"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 by Malcolm Wren, (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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Gaudenz Freiherr von Salis-Seewis (1762 - 1834), "Fischerlied", written 1791, first published 1792
This text was added to the website: 2017-07-15
Line count: 64
Word count: 312