Song of the cannoneers | That is most beautiful music

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Lied der Kanoniere

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Das ist die schönste Musika, 
Wie schlägt das Herz in Freuden da, 
Wenn die Kanonen krachen! 
  Und sind die Mauern noch so fest, 
Und noch so hoch das Felsennest, 
Doch muß es niederkrachen! 

  Lebt wohl, lebt wohl, ihr Mägdelein, 
Mit euern Wangen hübsch und fein, 
Ihr schönsten der Jungfrauen! 
  Was thut mit nassem Augenpaar 
Ihr auf den Schatz so traurig gar 
Vom Fenster niederschauen? 

  Lebt wohl, lebt wohl! Was zaget ihr?
Gott hilft dem braven Kanonier!
Und muß es sein gestorben,
  Die Seele geht in's Himmelszelt,
Und haben wir in aller Welt
Den schönsten Tod erworben!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 293-294.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Lied der Kanoniere", appears in Liederbuch, in 4. Vaterlandslieder, no. 318 [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 Carl Attenhofer (1837 - 1914) [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Wilhelm Emil Siegert (1838 - c1901) [sung text not yet checked]
by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]
by Johann Wolfensperger (1845 - 1906), "Lied der Kanoniere", published 1873 [ ttbb chorus ], from Zehn neue Lieder für Männerchor, no. 4, Zürich: Frie [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Song of the cannoneers", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-15
Line count: 18
Word count: 97

Song of the cannoneers

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  That is most beautiful music,
How the heart beats with joy there
When the cannons are blasting!
  And may the walls be ever so solid,
And may the rocky nest be ever so high,
It must nevertheless tumble down!

  Farewell, farewell, ye maidens,
With your pretty and fine cheeks,
You the loveliest of maidens!
  Why do you, with two tear-wet eyes,
Gaze so very sadly down
Upon our sweetheart from the window?

  Farewell, farewell! Why are you apprehensive?
God helps the brave cannoneer!
And if it must be that he shall die,
  His soul goes into the canopy of Heaven,
And of all manner of death in the world,
We have attained the most beautiful one!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Lied der Kanoniere", appears in Liederbuch, in 4. Vaterlandslieder, no. 318
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-07
Line count: 18
Word count: 117