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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.

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by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805)
Translation © by John Glenn Paton

An die Freude
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elisium,
Wir betreten [feuertrunken]1,
[Himmlische,]2 dein Heiligthum.
Deine Zauber binden wieder,
Was [die Mode streng getheilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder]3,
Wo dein sanfter [Flügel]4 weilt.
     Chor.
Seid [umschlungen]5 Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder - überm Sternenzelt
Muß ein [lieber]6 Vater wohnen.

Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu seyn,
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja - wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!
     Chor.
Was den großen Ring bewohnet
Huldige der Simpathie!
Zu den Sternen [leitet]7 sie,
Wo der Unbekannte thronet.

Freude trinken alle Wesen
An der Brüsten der Natur,
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küße gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod,
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben, 
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
     Chor.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahndest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such ihn überm Sternenzelt,
Ueber Sternen muß er wohnen.

Freude heißt die starke Feder
In der ewigen Natur.
Freude, Freude treibt die Räder
In der großen Weltenuhr.
Blumen lockt sie aus den Keimen,
Sonnen aus dem Firmament,
Sphären [rollt]8 sie in den Räumen,
Die des Sehers Rohr nicht kennt.
     Chor.
Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen,
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet Brüder eure Bahn,
Freudig wie ein Held zum siegen.

Aus der Wahrheit Feuerspiegel
Lächelt sie den Forscher an.
Zu [der Tugend steilem]9 Hügel
Leitet sie des Dulders Bahn.
Auf des Glaubens Sonnenberge
Sieht man ihre [Fahnen]10 wehn,
Durch den Riß [gesprengter]11 Särge
Sie im Chor der Engel stehn.
     Chor.
Duldet muthig Millionen!
Duldet für die bess're Welt!
Droben überm Sternenzelt
Wird ein großer Gott belohnen.

Göttern kann man nicht vergelten,
Schön ist's ihnen gleich zu seyn.
Gram und Armuth soll sich melden,
Mit den Frohen sich erfreun.
Groll und Rache sey vergessen,
Unserm Todfeind sey verziehn.
Keine Thräne soll ihn pressen,
Keine Reue nage ihn.
     Chor.
Unser Schuldbuch sey vernichtet!
Ausgesöhnt die ganze Welt!
Brüder - überm Sternenzelt
Richtet Gott, wie wir gerichtet.

Freude sprudelt in Pokalen,
In der Traube goldnem Blut
Trinken Sanftmuth Kannibalen,
Die Verzweiflung Heldenmuth - -
Brüder fliegt von euren Sitzen,
Wenn der volle Römer kreist,
Laßt den Schaum zum Himmel spritzen:
Dieses Glas dem guten Geist!
     Chor.
Den der Sterne Wirbel loben,
Den des Seraphs Hymne preist,
Dieses Glas dem guten Geist
Ueberm Sternenzelt dort oben!

Festen Muth in [schwerem]12 Leiden,
Hülfe, wo die Unschuld weint,
Ewigkeit geschwor'nen Eiden,
Wahrheit gegen Freund und Feind,
Männerstolz vor Königsthronen, -
Brüder, gält es Gut und Blut -
Dem Verdienste seine Kronen,
Untergang der [Lügenbrut]13!
     Chor.
Schließt den heil'gen Zirkel dichter,
Schwört bei diesem goldnen Wein;
Dem Gelübde treu zu seyn,
Schwört es bei dem Sternenrichter!14

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Rust •   F. Schubert •   C. Zahn •   J. Zumsteeg 

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 121-127; and with Thalia. Herausgegeben von Schiller. Erster Band welcher das I. bis IV. Heft enthält. Leipzig, bey Georg Joachim Göschen. 1787, pages 1-5 of Heft II [1786].

1 Zahn: "wonnetrunken"
2 Rust, Zahn: "Göttliche!"
3 First edition, Rust, Zahn, Zumsteeg: "der Mode Schwerd getheilt; / Bettler werden Fürstenbrüder"
4 Rust: "Scepter"
5 Zahn: "willkommen"
6 Rust, Schubert, Zahn, Zumsteeg: "guter"
7 Rust: "leite"
8 Rust: "wälzt"; Zumsteeg: "lockt"
9 Zumsteeg: "des Glaubens stillem"
10 Rust: "Fahne"
11 Rust: "gespaltner"
12 Schubert, Zahn, Zumsteeg: "schweren"
13 Zumsteeg: "Lügnerbrut"
14 first edition, Rust, Zahn, Zumsteeg:
Rettung von Tirannenketten,
Großmut auch dem Bösewicht,
Hoffnung auf den Sterbebetten,
Gnade auf dem Hochgericht!
Auch die Toden sollen leben!
Brüder trinkt und stimmet ein,
Allen Sündern soll vergeben,
Und die Hölle nicht mehr seyn.
     Chor.
Eine heitre Abschiedsstunde!
Süßen Schlaf im Leichentuch!
Brüder - einen sanften Spruch
Aus des Todtenrichters Munde!

Text Authorship:

  • by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805), "An die Freude", written 1785, first published 1786 [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 Johann Friedrich Hugo, Freiherr von Dalberg (1760 - 1812), "An die Freude", published c1799 [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Lieder, no. 3, Erfurt, Beyer und Maring [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Carl Gottlob Hausius (1754 - 1825), "An die Freude", published 1791 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder im Volkston, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Friedrich Wilhelm Rust (1739 - 1796), "An die Freude", published 1796 [ voice and piano ], from Oden und Lieder aus den besten deutschen Dichtern, Zweite Sammlung, no. 31, Leipzig: Bei Georg August Grieshammer [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "An die Freude", op. posth. 111 (Drei Lieder) no. 1, D 189 (1815), published 1829 [ voice, chorus in unison and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Christian Jakob Zahn (1765 - 1830), "An die Freude", published 1792 [ solo voice, chorus, and piano ], in Amaliens Erholungsstunden, March 1792 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (1760 - 1802), "An die Freude", published 1803 [ voice, piano ], from Kleine Balladen und Lieder, Heft VI, no. 11, Kleine Balladen und Lieder, Heft 6 [sung text checked 2 times]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), [adaptation] ; composed by Ludwig van Beethoven.
    • Go to the text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "A l'alegria", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Aan de vreugde", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "Ode to Joy", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "À la joie", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2009, (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: 104
Word count: 464

Ode to Joy
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
daughter from Elysium,
we, drunk with fire, step into
your holy shrine, Heavenly One.
Your magic binds together again
that which custom has rigidly divided:
all human beings become brothers
wherever your gentle wing is.
Chorus
Be embraced, millions!
This kiss is for the whole world!
Brothers, over the starry canopy
there must be a loving Father dwelling.

Whoever has succeeded in the great attempt
to be a friend to a friend,
whoever has won a dear wife,
may he mix in his rejoicing!
Yes, whoever can call even only one soul
his on the round earth!
And whoever never could, let him leave 
secretly, weeping, from this union.
Chorus
Whatever inhabits the great Circle,
may it honor sympathy!
It [sympathy] leads to the stars,
where the Unknown is enthroned.

All beings drink Joy
at the breast of Nature;
all good [beings], all evil [ones]
follow her rosy trail.
She gave us kisses and grapes,
gave us] a friend, tested by death itself.
Delight was given even to the worm,
and the angel stands before God.
Chorus
Are you falling down, Millions?
Do you perceive your Creator, World?
Seek him above the starry canopy!
He must be dwelling above the stars.

Joy is the powerful spring
in eternal Nature.
Joy, joy drives the wheels
in the great watch of the worlds.
It entices flowers from the sprouts,
suns from the universe,
rolls spheres in spaces
that the telescope cannot see.
Chorus
Happily, as His suns fly
through the glorious plane of Heaven,
go, brothers, your way,
happily, like a hero going to victory.
 
Out of the fiery mirror of Truth
it [joy] smiles at the researcher.
Toward the steep hill of Virtue
it leads the path of the patient one.
On the sunny mountains of Faith
one can see its banners waving,
through the cleft in sprung coffins
one can see it standing in the angel choir.
Chorus
Wait courageously, Millions!
Wait for the better world!
Up yonder over the starry canopy
a great God will repay you.

One cannot repay the gods;
It is beautiful to be like them.
agony and poverty should come forward,
rejoice with those who are happy.
May complaint and revenge be forgotten,
may our mortal enemy be forgiven.
No tear should pressure him,
no repentance gnaw at him.
Chorus
May our book of debts be obliterated!
Reconciled the whole world!
Brothers- over the starry canopy
judges God, just as we judge.

Joy bubbles in the beakers;
in the golden blood of the grape
cannibals drink mildness,
despair drinks heroic courage.
Brothers, fly up from your seats
when the full wineglass passes around,
let the foam spray to the sky:
this glass to the good Spirit!
Chorus
The one whom the stars' whirling lauds,
whom the seraphs' hymn praises--
this glass to the good Spirit
up there above the starry canopy!
  
Firm courage in heavy sorrows,
help, where innocence weeps,
eternity to sworn vows,
truth toward friend and foe,
manly pride before royal thrones,
brothers, even risking property and life--
let merit be crowned,
downfall to the breed of liars!
Chorus
Close the sacred circle tighter,
swear by this golden wine,
to be true to what is sworn,
swear it by the judge of stars!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2004 by John Glenn Paton, (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), "An die Freude", written 1785, first published 1786
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2004-04-27
Line count: 104
Word count: 546

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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