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Auf Jordan's grünen Borden, Da weilte Jakobs Samen, Da feierten die Horden, Die von Mizraim kamen; Da lagerten die Scharen, Da hielt der Heerzug Rast Seit langen, langen Jahren Der sand'gen Wüste Gast. Da waren ihre Hütten von Leinen aufgestellt, Und in der Zelte Mitten hob sich des Stiftes Zelt. Da schützten grüne Sträucher Sie vor der Glut der Sonnen, Da füllten sie die Schläuche An kühlen Wasserbronnen. Da freuten sich die Müden Und hoben fromm die Hände, Daß ihnen bald beschieden Der langen Wallfahrt Ende; Da schärften sie die Schneide Des Schwert's mit kräft'ger Hand, Zu kämpfen um grüne Weide In ihrer Väters Land. Im Tal ruh'n die Nomaden Und jauchzen: Kanaan! Moses auf steilen Pfaden Klimmt das Gebirg hinan, Schneeweiße Locken fliessen Auf seine Schultern dicht; Zwei goldne Strahlen schiessen Von seinem Haupte Licht. Und wie er nun die Höhe, Die schauende, erreicht, Und, daß er Alles sehe, Sich zitternd vorwärts beugt, Da glänzen ihm die Auen Von tausend Freuden voll, Die er nur sehnend schauen, Doch nicht betreten soll, Da dehnen sich die Flächen, Wo Korn und Traubereift, Da ist mit weißen Bächen Das grüne Land gestreift; Da schwärmen Bienenkörbe, Da schreitet Pfluggespann, Da funkelt Juda's Erbe Von Bersaba gen Dan. »Ich habe dich gesehen! Jetzt ist der Tod mir recht! Säulend mit leisem Wehen, Herr! hole deinen Knecht! Auf diesem Berge sterben, Wohl müßt' es köstlich sein, Wo sich die Wolken färben Im Morgensonnenschein.« Da nah't auf lichter Wolke Der Herr des Berges Rücken, Dem müden Pilgervolke Den Führer zu entrücken. Tief unten der Welt Gewimmel, Forst Flur und Stromeslauf, Und oben tut der Himmel Die goldnen Pforten auf!
Authorship:
- by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876) [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 Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Nebo", op. 136 (1860), published 1866 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Iain Sneddon) , "Mount Nebo", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 62
Word count: 273
On Jordan's green banks, Dwelt Jacob's line, The crowd celebrated Those who came from Mizraim; There the multitudes camped, There the long train stopped Which, for long, long years, Was the sandy desert's guest. Their shelters were made of linen, And in the middle of the tents rose the founding tent. Green bushes protected it From the heat of the sun, There they filled leather water bottles At the cool water wells. The weary rejoiced And devoutly raised their hands So that they would soon be granted The end of their long pilgrimage; Then they sharpened the edge Of each sword with a practiced hand, To fight for the green pastures In their fathers' country. The nomads rest in the valley And cry: Canaan! Moses, on the steep paths, Climbs up into the mountains, Flurries of snow Settle on his shoulders; Two golden rays of light Stream from his head. And as he is now at Nebo's summit, The vantage point is reached, And that he can see everything, Leaning forward trembling, The meadows shine for him Full of a thousand joys, That he can only look longingly upon But may never enter, The fields stretch before him, Where wheat and grapes are growing, There are foaming brooks In stripes across the green land; There bees swarm, There the ploughman strides, There Juda's legacy glitters From Beer-Sheba unto Dan. "I have seen you! Now death is welcome to me! On this platform with gentle breezes, Lord! gather thy servant! It must be exquisite To die on this mountain, Where the clouds change colour In the morning sunshine." There, approaching on a cloud of light, The Lord of the mountain range, Lifting the leader of the tired pilgrim people To rapture. Down below, in the world's bustle, Streams course through the forest, And the heavens above Open their golden gates!
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 by Iain Sneddon, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876)
This text was added to the website: 2021-11-05
Line count: 62
Word count: 309