Translation by Karl Julius Körner (1793 - 1873)

Jeptha's Daughter
Language: English 
Available translation(s): CAT
Since our Country, our God -- Oh, my Sire! 
Demand that thy Daughter expire; 
Since thy triumph was brought by thy vow -- 
Strike the bosom that's bared for thee now! 

And the voice of my mourning is o'er, 
And the mountains behold me no more: 
If the hand that I love lay me low, 
There cannot be pain in the blow! 

And of this, oh, my Father! be sure -- 
That the blood of thy child is as pure 
As the blessing I beg ere it flow, 
And the last thought that soothes me below. 

Though the virgins of Salem lament, 
Be the judge and the hero unbent! 
I have won the great battle for thee, 
And my Father and Country are free! 

When this blood of thy giving hath gush'd, 
When the voice that thou lovest is hush'd, 
Let my memory still be thy pride, 
And forget not I smiled as I died!

Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in French (Français), a translation by G. Jorissenne ; composed by Feliks Mikhailovich Blumenfeld.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Franz Theremin (1780 - 1846) , appears in Hebräische Gesänge, first published 1820 ; composed by Carl Loewe.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Karl Julius Körner (1793 - 1873) , "Die Tochter Jephta's", appears in Israelitische Gesänge, no. 7, first published 1821 ; composed by Heinrich August Marschner, Robert Schumann.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870) , "Jephtas Tochter", appears in Hebräische Melodien, no. 7, first published 1841 ; composed by Emil Bezecný, Carl Georg Peter Grädener, Adolf Jensen, Karl Müller.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Johann Wenzeslaus Kalliwoda.
  • Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Nikolay Vasilyevich Gerbel (1827 - 1883) , "Дочь Иеффая" ; composed by Feliks Mikhailovich Blumenfeld.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 152

Die Tochter Jephtas
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Available translation(s): DUT ENG
Da die Heimat, -- o Vater, -- da Gott
Von der Tochter verlanget den Tod,
[Dein Gelübde den Feinden gab Schmerz:
Hier -- entblösst ist's -- durchbohre mein Herz!]1

Und die Stimme der Klagen ist stumm,
Und mein Werk auf den Bergen ist um;
Wird die Hand, die ich liebe, mich weih'n,
Kann der Tod ja nicht schmerzlich mir seyn!

Und das schwör' ich dir treulich und gut,
Daß so rein ist mein kindliches Blut,
Als der Segen, den strömend es fleht,
Als hienieden mein letztes Gebet.

Ob die Jungfrau Jerusalems klagt,
Sey der Richter, der Held nicht verzagt;
Der Triumph kam durch mich euch herbey,
Und mein Vater, die Heimath sind frey!

Wenn das Blut, das du gabst, ist entwallt,
Die du liebtest, die Stimme, verhallt,
[Sey gedenk mein]2, die Ruhm dir erwarb,
Und vergiß nicht, daß lächelnd ich starb!

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Julius Körner (translator), Lord Byron’s Poesien, Erstes Bändchen, Zwickau: im Verlage der Gebrüder Schumann, 1821, page 12-13

1 Schumann: "Dein Gelübde vom Feind uns befreit, Durchbohr' mich, ich stehe bereit!"
2 Schumann: "Denk' meiner"
Notes submitted by Alberto Pedrotti

Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Jephta's dochter", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Jephta's daughter", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Margo Briessinck , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 137