Zwischen Himmel und Erd', hoch in der Lüfte Meer,
In der Wiege des Sturms trägt mich ein Zakenfels,
    Wolken thürmen
    Unter mir sich zu Stürmen,
Schwindelnd gaukelt der [Blick]1 umher
  Und ich denke dich, Ewiger.

Deinen schauernden Pomp borge dem Endlichen,
Ungeheure Natur! Du der Unendlichkeit
    Riesentochter!
    Sey mir Spiegel Jehovahs!
Seinen Gott [dem]2 [vernünftigen]3 Wurm
  Orgle prächtig, Gewittersturm!

Horch! er orgelt - Den Fels wie er herunterdrönt!
Brüllend spricht der Orkan Zebaoths Nahmen aus.
    Hingeschrieben
    Mit dem Griffel des Blitzes:
Kreaturen, erkennt ihr mich?
  Schone, Herr! wir erkennen dich.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Friedrich Schillers sämmtliche Werke. Zehnter Band. Enthält: Gedichte. Zweyter Theil. Wien, 1810. In Commission bey Anton Doll, page 231.

First published in Anthologie auf das Jahr 1782, anonymously edited by Schiller with the fake publishing information "Gedrukt in der Buchdrukerei zu Tobolsko", actually published by Johann Benedict Metzler in Stuttgart. This poem (pages 126-127) has "Y." as the author's name.

¹ Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe): "Blitz"
² Schiller (Doll, 1816 edition, and early specimens of 1810 edition) "den"
³ Anthologie 1782, and Schubert: "vernünftgen"

Text Authorship:

• by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805), "Hymne an den Unendlichen", written 1782, first published 1782 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Hymne an den Unendlichen", op. posth. 112 (Drei Lieder) no. 3, D 232 (1815), published 1829 [ vocal quartet with piano ], Josef Czerny, VN 339, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Himne a l’Infinit", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Hymne voor de Oneindige", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Linda Godry) , "Hymn to the eternal", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Hymne à l'infini", copyright © 2011, (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: 18
Word count: 85

Between heaven and earth high up in the airy sea,
Right in the nucleus of the storm a rocky ridge supports me;
Below me clouds 
pile high 
to thunderstorms,
And I imagine you, eternal!

Your horrific pomp lends to the earthly, [those of finite nature]
Immense nature! 
You, eternity's giant daughter!
Represent for me the mirror image of Jehova!
His god to the reasoning worm,
Roar magnificently, thunderstorm!

Hark! He roars; down from the rocky ridge!
Blasting out Zebaoth's name,
Inscribes 
with a lightning stylus:
Creatures, do you recognize me?
Have mercy, Lord! We recognize you!