Translation by Karl Julius Körner (1793 - 1873)

If that high world
Language: English 
If that high world -- which lies beyond
   Our own, surviving love endears;
If there the cherished heart be fond,
   The eye the same -- except in tears --
How welcome those untrodden spheres!
   How sweet this very hour to die!
To soar from earth and find all fears
   Lost in thy light -- eternity!

It must be so -- 'tis not for self
   That we so tremble on the brink,
And striving to o'erleap the gulph,
   Yet cling to Being's breaking link.
Oh! in that future let us think
   To hold each heart the heart that shares;
With them the immortal waters drink,
   And soul in soul grow deathless theirs!

Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-05-08
Line count: 16
Word count: 106

Die bessre Welt
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Available translation(s): ENG
Wenn oben wird die schön're Welt, 
  Der Liebe ew'ges Seyn gewähren;
Wenn wieder Herz zu Herz sich hält,
  Das Auge blinkt, doch nie voll Zähren --
Willkommen, unbetret'ne Sphären!
  Wie süß, ob jezt mein Auge bricht,
Wird sich der Erde Schmerz verklären,
  O Ewigkeit, in deinem Licht!

Es muß ja seyn! Denn sonst warum,
  Daß wir vor nächt'ger Tief erkalten?
Und schlägt der Kahn des Lebens um,
  Uns an das Seyn im Sinken halten?
Drum [glaubt]1, mit zärtlichen Gewalten,
  Wird sich das Herz dem Herzen weihn,
Und wo kein Tod hinfort darf schalten,
  Wird ewig Seel' in Seele seyn.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Julius Körner (translator), Lord Byron’s Poesien, Erstes Bändchen, Zwickau: im Verlage der Gebrüder Schumann, 1821, page 7

Confirmed with Iris, Jahrgang 1821 (Sonntag, 28. October), Nr. 44, page 181

1 "glaube" in the Iris publication

Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The better world", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-05-31
Line count: 16
Word count: 98