Song of the artists | To God the glory! Who has ignited

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Künstlerlied

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Chosen for Diff

  Gott die Ehre! Der den Funken 
Hehrer Kunst in uns entfacht, 
Und an's Licht ihr mild gewunken 
Wie im Lenz der Blüthenpracht. 
  Strahlen soll's im Bilde wieder, 
Was, durchhaucht von seinem Geist, 
Tausendfältig auf und nieder 
Stumm und jauchzend ihn lobpreist.

  Gott die Ehre! Seht sie ragen 
Hoch die Münster in die Luft! 
Seht noch in den spätsten Tagen 
All der Bilder Glanz und Duft! 
  Seht in Erz und Marmor stehen, 
Was der höchste Drang erlauscht, 
Von der Andacht heilgem Wehen 
Wie vom Lenzwind hold umrauscht! 

  Gott die Ehre! Laßt zum Bunde 
Nahn die Dichtkunst, den Gesang! 
Licht und Leben weckt zur Stunde 
Wie im Lenz ihr Feierklang. 
  Ja! im Lied' auch hall' es wieder 
Was, durchhaucht von seinem Geist 
Tausendfältig auf und nieder 
Ihm lobsingt und ihn lobpreist!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 331-332.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Künstlerlied", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 360 [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]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Song of the artists", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website: 2026-05-18
Line count: 24
Word count: 130

Song of the artists

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Chosen for Diff

  To God the glory! Who has ignited
The spark of lofty art in us,
And gently beckoned it into the light
Like the splendour of blossoms in springtime.
  The artwork shall reflect that which,
Suffused with His spirit,
Upwards and downwards a thousandfold,
Mutely and rejoicingly praises Him.

  To God the glory! See them soar
Into the air, the minsters!
See, still in the most recent days,
The radiance and scents of all the images!
  See in bronze and marble standing
That which the highest urges have overheard,
Soughed about in beauty by the holy wafting of worship
As if by the spring breeze!

  To God the glory! Let the art of poetry,
The [art of] song, approach to [our] league!
Light and life are wakened at this hour,
As in springtime, by their solemn sound.
  Yea! in song as well shall echo
Upward and downward a thousandfold 
That which, suffused by His spirit,
Sings to and rejoicingly praises Him!

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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Künstlerlied", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 360
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-09-16
Line count: 24
Word count: 161