Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Wohl perlet im Glase der purpurne Wein, Wohl glänzen die Augen der Gäste, Es zeigt sich der Sänger, er tritt herein, Zu dem Guten bringt er das Beste, Denn ohne die Leier im himmlischen Saal Ist die Freude gemein auch beim Nektarmahl. Ihm gaben die Götter das reine Gemüth, Wo die Welt sich, die [ewige]1, spiegelt, Er hat alles gesehn, was auf Erden geschieht, Und was uns die Zukunft versiegelt, Er saß in der Götter urältestem Rath, Und behorchte der Dinge geheimste Saat. Er breitet es lustig und glänzend aus Das zusammengefaltete Leben, Zum Tempel schmückt er das irdische Haus, Ihm hat es die Muse gegeben, Kein Dach ist so niedrig, keine Hütte so klein, Er führt einen Himmel voll Götter hinein. Und wie der erfindende Sohn des Zeus Auf des Schildes einfachem Runde Die Erde, das Meer und den Sternenkreis Gebildet mit göttlicher Kunde, So drückt er ein Bild des unendlichen All In des Augenblicks flüchtig verrauschenden Schall. Er kommt aus dem kindlichen Alter der Welt, Wo die Völker sich jugendlich freuten, Er hat sich, ein fröhlicher Wandrer, gesellt Zu allen Geschlechtern und Zeiten. Vier Menschenalter hat er gesehn, Und läßt sie am Fünften vorübergehn. Erst regierte Saturnus schlicht und gerecht, Da war es Heute wie Morgen, Da lebten die Hirten, ein harmlos Geschlecht, Und brauchten für gar nichts zu sorgen, Sie liebten und thaten weiter nichts mehr, Die Erde gab alles freiwillig her. Drauf kam die Arbeit, der Kampf begann Mit Ungeheuern und Drachen, Und die Helden fingen, die Herrscher, an, Und den Mächtigen suchten die Schwachen, Und der Streit zog in des Skamanders Feld, Doch die Schönheit war immer der Gott der Welt. Aus dem Kampf gieng endlich der Sieg hervor, Und der Kraft entblühte die Milde, Da sangen die Musen im himmlischen Chor, Da erhuben sich Göttergebilde! Das Alter der göttlichen Phantasie, Es ist verschwunden, es kehret nie. Die Götter sanken vom Himmelsthron, Es stürzten die herrlichen Säulen, Und geboren wurde der Jungfrau Sohn, Die Gebrechen der Erde zu heilen, Verbannt ward der Sinne flüchtige Lust, Und der Mensch griff denkend in seine Brust. Und der eitle, der üppige Reiz entwich, Der die frohe Jugendwelt zierte, Der Mönch und die Nonne zergeisselten sich, Und der eiserne Ritter turnierte. Doch war das Leben auch finster und wild, So blieb doch die Liebe lieblich und mild. Und einen heiligen keuschen Altar Bewahrten sich stille die Musen, Es lebte, was edel und sittlich war, In der Frauen züchtigem Busen, Die Flamme des Liedes entbrannte neu An der schönen Minne und Liebestreu. Drum soll auch ein ewiges zartes Band Die Frauen, die Sänger umflechten, Sie wirken und weben Hand in Hand Den Gürtel des Schönen und Rechten. Gesang und Liebe in schönem Verein Sie erhalten dem Leben den Jugendschein.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Friederich Schiller, Zweiter Theil, Zweite, verbesserte und vermehrte Auflage, Leipzig, 1805, bei Siegfried Lebrecht Crusius, pages 33-37.
1 Schubert: "ew'ge"Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805), "Die vier Weltalter", written 1802 [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 Max Bruch (1838 - 1920), "Feierliches Tafellied", op. 38 (Fünf Lieder für gemischten Chor a capella) no. 5, published 1875 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich Esser (1818 - 1872), "Gesang und Liebe", published 1842 [ voice and piano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Die vier Weltalter", op. posth. 111 (Drei Lieder) no. 3, D 391 (1816?), published 1829 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De vier tijdperken der wereld", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Les quatre âges du monde", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
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: 72
Word count: 459
The crimson wine is sparkling nicely in the glass, The guests' eyes are shining too, A gesture is made to the singer, he steps forward, To good things he brings the best, For in a heavenly hall, without the lyre, Joy is vulgar, even when at a feast with nectar. The gods gave him a pure disposition, In which the whole world, the infinite world, is reflected, He has seen everything that happens on earth And what the future has sealed from us. He sat in the original council of the gods And listened in on the most secret seeds of things. All aglow, he cheerfully spreads it all out, Life that had been folded up. His decoration transforms an earthly house into a temple, This is what the Muse has given him, There is no roof so low, no hut so small, Into which he does not introduce a heaven full of gods. And just as the inventive son of Zeus took The simple circle of the shield and on it presented The earth, the sea and the circle of the stars, Portraying them with divine art, So he (the singer) prints an image of the everlasting All In the fleeting, dying sound of the moment. He comes from the infant age of the world, Where the people enjoyed themselves in a youthful way, As a cheerful wanderer he has joined in with All generations and all times. He has seen four ages of human beings And is prepared to experience a fifth. At first Saturn ruled, simple and just. At that time today was like tomorrow, The shepherds, a harmless race, lived then And they didn't need to worry about anything, They just loved and didn't do anything else, The earth gave out everything willingly. Then came work, battles began With monsters and dragons, Heroes and leaders emerged, And the weak sought out the strong, And the struggle led to the battlefield of Scamander But beauty was still the god of the world. Out of battle victory eventually emerged, And power blossomed into gentleness, The Muses then sang in a heavenly choir And at that time images of the gods were raised! The age of divine imagination Has vanished, it is never going to return. The gods sank from heaven's throne, The mighty columns fell, And the Virgin's son was born To heal the affliction of the earth. The fleeting pleasures of the senses were banished And humans clasped thinking to their breasts. And vain, luxurious charms went away, Those that had adorned the world in its youth, Monks and nuns flagellated themselves, And the knight in armour jousted. But although life was both dark and savage Love remained lovely and gentle. And a holy, chaste altar Was quietly devoted to the Muses. What was noble and moral lived on In the innocent breasts of women. The flame of song flared anew In praise of beautiful Love and loving devotion. Therefore an eternal, tender bond should also Be woven around women and singers, They work and weave hand in hand Making the belt of Beauty of Justice. Song and Love in a beautiful union, They maintain the youthful appearance of life.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Die vier Weltalter" = "The four ages of the world"
"Feierliches Tafellied" = "Festive table song"
Text 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805), "Die vier Weltalter", written 1802
This text was added to the website: 2017-07-16
Line count: 72
Word count: 533