To the heart of the people! | Closer, ever closer, brethren

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

An des Volkes Herz!

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Choose for Diff

Näher, immer näher dringet, 
Brüder, an des Volkes Herz! 
Euer Wirken nur gelinget, 
Theilt mit ihm ihr Lust und Schmerz. 
  Reicher als mit Königskronen 
  Wird's mit seiner Liebe lohnen 
Treu die Seinen allerwärts! 

Streuet aus den edeln Saamen, 
Wo ein Sehnen euch bewußt, 
Daß sie wahren euern Namen 
Segnend in der tiefsten Brust, 
  Und euch grüßen als Genossen, 
  Wo die schönen Blüthen sprossen 
Ungezwungner, heitrer Lust! 

Näher, immer näher dringet, 
Brüder, an des Volkes Herz! 
Euer Wirken nur gelinget, 
Theilt mit ihm ihr Lust und Schmerz. 
  Reicher als mit Königskronen 
  Wird's mit seiner Liebe lohnen 
Treu die Seinen allerwärts!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 299.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "An des Volkes Herz!", appears in Liederbuch, in 4. Vaterlandslieder, no. 324 [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 Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-16
Line count: 21
Word count: 99

To the heart of the people!

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Choose for Diff

Closer, ever closer, brethren,
Seek to come to the heart of the people!
Your labour shall only succeed
If you share joy and sorrow with it.
  More generously than with royal crowns
  It shall with its love faithfully
Reward its own everywhere!

Scatter the noble seed,
Wherever you discern a yearning,
So that [the people] uphold your name
With blessings in their deepest heart,
  And greet you as comrades,
  Where the beautiful blossoms
Of unforced, cheerful joy burgeon!

Closer, ever closer, brethren,
Seek to come to the heart of the people!
Your labour shall only succeed
If you share joy and sorrow with it.
  More generously than with royal crowns
  It shall with its love faithfully
Reward its own everywhere!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "An des Volkes Herz!", appears in Liederbuch, in 4. Vaterlandslieder, no. 324
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-08-22
Line count: 21
Word count: 120