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Zur Schmiede ging ein junger Held, Er hatt ein gutes Schwert bestellt. Doch als er's wog in freier Hand, Das Schwert er viel zu schwer erfand. Der alte Schmied den Bart sich streicht: »Das Schwert ist nicht zu schwer noch leicht, Zu schwach ist Euer Arm, ich mein, Doch morgen soll geholfen sein.« »Nein, heut! bei aller Ritterschaft! Durch meine, nicht durch Feuers Kraft.« Der Jüngling spricht's, ihn Kraft durchdringt, Das Schwert er hoch in Lüften schwingt.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Gedichte von Ludwig Uhland, erster Band, Verlag der Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1898, page 256.
Authorship
- by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Das Schwert", appears in Balladen und Romanzen [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 Eduard August Grell (1800 - 1886), "Schwert", op. 28 ([Zehn] Lieder für die Jugend für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 10, published 1844 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Wenzeslaus Kalliwoda (1801 - 1866), "Das Schwert", op. 150 (Sechs Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 6 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, C. F. Peters [sung text not yet checked]
- by Theodor Podbertsky (1846 - 1913), "Das Schwert", op. 99 (Zwei Männerchöre) no. 1, published 1898 [ ttbb chorus ], Leipzig: Luckhardt's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anton Rückauf (1855 - 1903), "Das Schwert", op. 16 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1894 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "L'épée", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-08-25
Line count: 12
Word count: 77
A young hero betook himself to the smithy, He had ordered a good sword. But as he weighed it in his free hand, He found the sword to be much too heavy. The old blacksmith stroked his beard: »The sword is neither too heavy nor too light, I believe it is your arm that is too weak. But tomorrow that shall be remedied.« »No, today! By all knighthood! Through my strength and not through that of the fire.« The youth speaks it, strength flows through him, He swings the sword high in the air.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Das Schwert" = "The sword"
"Schwert" = "Sword"
Authorship
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Das Schwert", appears in Balladen und Romanzen
This text was added to the website: 2020-02-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 94