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Nimmer, das glaubt mir,
[Erscheinen]1 die Götter,
Nimmer allein.
Kaum daß ich Bacchus den lustigen habe,
[Kommt auch]2 schon Amor, der lächelnde Knabe,
Phöbus der Herrliche findet sich ein.
Sie nahen, sie kommen
Die Himmlischen alle,
Mit Göttern erfüllt sich
Die irdische Halle.
Sagt, wie bewirth' ich,
[Der Erdegebohrne,]3
Himmlischen Chor?
[Schenket]4 mir euer unsterbliches Leben,
Götter! Was kann euch der Sterbliche geben?
Hebet zu eurem Olymp mich empor!
Die Freude, sie wohnt nur
In Jupiters Saale,
O füllet mit Nektar,
O reicht mir die Schale!
Reich ihm die Schale!
[Schenke]5 dem Dichter,
Hebe nur ein.
Netz' ihm die Augen mit himmlischem Thaue,
Daß er den Styx, den verhaßten, nicht schaue,
Einer der Unsern sich dünke zu sein.
Sie rauschet, sie perlet,
Die himmlische Quelle,
Der Busen wird ruhig,
Das Auge wird [helle]6.
F. Schubert sets stanzas 1-2 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
Confirmed with Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1797, herausgegeben von Schiller. Tübingen, in der J.G.Cottaischen Buchhandlung, pages 120-121, and with Gedichte von Friederich Schiller, Erster Theil, Leipzig, 1800, bey Siegfried Lebrecht Crusius, pages 151-152.
First published 1797 with the title "Der Besuch" in Schiller's Musen-Almanach
1 Schreiber: "Nahen"2 Schreiber: "Naht sich"
3 Schreiber: "Erdegebohrner"
4 Schiller (Musen-Almanach): "Leyhet"
5 Schubert: "O schenke"
6 Schreiber: "heller"
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805), "Dithyrambe", written 1796, first published 1797 [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 Conradin Kreutzer (1780 - 1849), "Dithyrambe", op. 75 (12 Lieder und Romanzen für 1 und 2 Singstimmen mit Pianoforte) no. 5, KWV. 9111 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Dithyrambe", published 1809? [sung text not yet checked]
- by Christian Schreiber (1781 - 1857), "Dithyrambe", published 1805 [ voice, piano ], from Gesänge mit Begleitung des Pianoforte von Chr. Schreiber. Zweyte Sammlung., no. 8, Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Dithyrambe", op. 60 (Zwei Lieder) no. 2, D 801 (1826), published 1826, first performed 1828 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Dithyrambe", D 47 (1813?), stanzas 1-2 [ tenor, bass, satb chorus and piano ], fragment, completed and arranged by Reinhard van Hoorickx [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Karl Gottfried) Wilhelm Taubert (1811 - 1891), "Dithyrambe", op. 144 no. 2, published 1864 [ tenor or baritone and piano ], from Dichtungen von Fr. von Schiller, für eine Singstimme und zwei Singstimmen mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Ditirambe", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Dithyrambe", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Dithyramb", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Dithyrambe", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Ditirambo", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 30
Word count: 133
Never, believe me, do the gods appear alone, never alone! Hardly do I see Bacchus the merry, when along comes Cupid as well, the smiling boy - and then Phoebus the magnificent arrives. They approach, they arrive, Celestial Beings all; with gods are the earthly halls filled. Tell me how I, an earth-born person, might receive and feed this divine chorus? Grant me your immortal life, Gods! What can a mortal give you? Lift me to your Olympus! Joy - it dwells only in Jupiter's hall. O fill me with ambrosia - pass me the goblet! Pass him the goblet! O pour for the poet, Hebe; pour for him. Moisten his eyes with heavenly dew, so that he will not see the despised Styx, thinking himself one of us. It roars, it sparkles - the celestial stream - the breast grows calm and the eye grows bright.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805), "Dithyrambe", written 1796, first published 1797
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 142