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Es braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall, Wie Schwertgeklirr und Wogenprall: "Zum Rhein, zum Rhein, zum deutschen Rhein! "Wer will des Stromes Hüter seyn!" Durch Hunderttausend zuckt es schnell, Und Aller Augen blitzen [hell.]1 Der deutsche Jüngling fromm und stark Beschirmt die heil'ge Landesmark. Auf blickt er [in]2 des Himmels Au'n, Wo todte Helden niederschau'n, Und schwört mit stolzer Kampfeslust: "Du Rhein bleibst deutsch, wie [meine]3 Brust!" "Und ob mein Herz im Tode bricht, "Wirst du doch drum ein Welscher nicht. "Reich wie an Wasser deine Fluth "Ist Deutschland ja an Heldenblut." "So lang ein Tröpfchen Blut noch glüht, "Noch eine Faust den Degen zieht, "Und noch ein Arm die Büchse spannt, "Betritt kein Welscher deinen Strand." Der Schwur erschallt; die Woge rinnt; Die Fahnen flattern in dem Wind. Lieb Vaterland! magst ruhig seyn; Fest steht und treu die Wacht am Rhein!
J. Lang sets stanzas 1-3
Confirmed with Der Bayerische Eilbote, Zweite Jahreshälfte (1840), No. 157 (Mittwoch, den 30. December), page 1258.
Note for stanza 3, line 4: in Lang's setting, in the repetition, the line returns to its original form "Du Rhein bleibst deutsch, wie meine Brust!"
2 Lang: "zu"
3 Lang: "unsre"
Text Authorship:
- by J. Baader , "Die Wacht am Rhein", first published 1840 [an adaptation] [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Max Schneckenburger (1819 - 1849), "Die Wacht am Rhein", written 1840
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Die Wacht am Rhein", 1841, stanzas 1-3 [ voice and piano ], incomplete, unpublished [sung text checked 1 time]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The guard at the Rhine", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-08-30
Line count: 24
Word count: 144
A call roars like the sound of thunder, Like the rattling of swords and the crashing of waves: "To the Rhine, to the Rhine, to the German Rhine! "Who would be the guardian of the river!" Through a hundred thousand [hearts] it flashes quickly, And the eyes of all flash [brightly.]1 The German youth, devout and strong, Protects the holy frontier. He gazes up [into]2 the leas of heaven, Where dead heroes look down, And swears with proud pugnacity: "Like [my]3 breast, you, the Rhine, shall remain German!" "And though my heart breaks in death, "You shall nevertheless not become French. "For as abundantly as you are endowed with waters "Is Germany endowed with heroes' blood." "As long as a droplet of blood still glows, "[As long] as a fist still draws the sword, "And an arm yet cocks a gun, "No Frenchman shall step onto your banks." The vow rings out; the wave rolls; The flags flutter in the wind. Dear Fatherland! you may rest easy; The guard at the Rhine stands firm and true!
1 Lang: "brightly! who would be the guardian?"
2 Lang: "toward"
3 Lang: "our", but "my" when the text is repeated
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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 J. Baader , "Die Wacht am Rhein", first published 1840 [an adaptation]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Max Schneckenburger (1819 - 1849), "Die Wacht am Rhein", written 1840
This text was added to the website: 2025-08-30
Line count: 24
Word count: 179