Song's eternal youth | Years come, years pass away

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by Johann Jakob Sprüngli (1801 - 1889)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Des Gesanges ew'ge Jugend

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Jahre kommen, Jahre flieh'n,
Über unserm Singen hin,
Freude wechselt stets mit Leid,
Und wir singen in Leid und Freud'.

Freund um Freund wir altern seh'n,
Der Gesang bleibt jung und schön;
Eins um's And're heimwärts zieht,
Doch nicht scheidet das treue Lied.

Des Gesanges Adlerschwung
Hebt sich ewig neu und jung,
Trägt die Seele mit empor
Im begeisterten Jubelchor.

Wo man singt und wo es klingt,
Alles, Alles sich verjüngt;
In der Tonwelt Herrlichkeit
Glüht ein Funke der Ewigkeit.

Text Authorship:

by Johann Jakob Sprüngli (1801 - 1889) [author's text not yet checked 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 Jakob Nater (1826 - 1906), "Des Gesanges ew'ge Jugend", published 1872 [ ttbb chorus ], from Zwölf Lieder für vierstimmigen Männerchor, no. 2, Zürich und St. Gallen: Eigenthum und Verlag von P.J. Fries [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Song's eternal youth", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-02-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 80

Song's eternal youth

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Years come, years pass away
Over our singing,
Joy ever alternates with sorrow,
And we sing in sorrow and joy.

Friend upon friend we see growing old,
Song remains youthful and beautiful;
One after another passes on homeward,
But faithful song never departs.

As on the pinions of an eagle, song
Ever rises new and young,
Carries our soul up with it
In an ardent chorus of rejoicing. 

Where one sings and where [singing] resounds,
Everything, everything is rejuvenated;
In the glory of the world of tones
A spark of eternity glows.

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 Johann Jakob Sprüngli (1801 - 1889)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-02-17
Line count: 16
Word count: 92