Singers' oath | Come hither to the festival of songs

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by Ludwig Pröpffer (1835 - 1906)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Sängereid

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Herbei zum Fest der Lieder, 
Ihr Sänger, Jung und Alt!  
Es braust ein Geist hernieder 
Mit Sturmes Allgewalt: 
Das ist des Liedes mächt'ger Geist, 
Der uns dem Erdendruck entreißt. 
Herbei zum Fest der Lieder, 
Ihr Sänger, Jung und Alt! 

Gelobt mit freiem Herzen: 
Wir wollen Männer sein 
Und nicht die Zeit verscherzen, 
Nicht trauen falschem Schein! 
Die Losung sei: "Ein Mann, ein Wort, 
Und Recht und Wahrheit fort und fort!" 
Gelobt mit freiem Herzen: 
Wir wollen Männer sein!  

Nun schall' und halle wieder, 
Nun klinge kühn empor 
Beim frohen Fest der Lieder, 
Du voller, frischer Chor! 
Auf! künde laut, du Machtgesang: 
Das deutsche Lied hat guten Klang. 
Hochherrlich halle wieder, 
Zum Himmel steig' empor!

Confirmed with Die neue Sängerhalle, dritter Jahrgang, ed. by Müller von der Werra, Leipzig: Robert Friese, 1864, page 188. Appears in issue no. 24, dated 11 Juni 1864.

Text Authorship:

by Ludwig Pröpffer (1835 - 1906), "Sängereid" [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Sängereid", op. 356 no. 1, published 1868 [ four-part men's chorus and brass ], Schleusingen, Glaser [sung text not yet checked]
by Valentin Eduard Becker (1814 - 1890), "Sängereid", op. 81 (Neun Lieder und Gesänge für Männerchor) no. 6, published 1878 [ men's chorus ], Schleusingen: Glaser [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Singers' oath", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2021-10-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 114

Singers' oath

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Come hither to the festival of songs,
Ye singers, young and old!
A spirit hurtles downward
With the omnipotence of a storm:
It is the mighty spirit of song
That wrests us away from the pressures of earth.
Come hither to the festival of songs,
Ye singers, young and old!

Promise solemnly with a free heart:
Let us be men
And not trifle away [our] time,
Nor trust false appearances!
Our watchword be: "One man, one word,
And justice and truth forever!"
Promise solemnly with a free heart:
Let us be men!

Now resound and echo once more,
Now ring courageously upward
During the joyous festival of song,
Ye full, bold choir!
Arise! proclaim loudly, ye mighty chant:
The German song has a good sound.
Echo once more superbly gloriously,
Rise up to Heaven!

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 Ludwig Pröpffer (1835 - 1906), "Sängereid"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-05-03
Line count: 24
Word count: 134