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Lächelnd scheidet der Despot, Denn er weiß, nach seinem Tod Wechselt Willkür nur die Hände, Und die Knechtschaft hat kein Ende. Armes Volk! wie Pferd und Farrn Bleibt es angeschirrt am Karrn, Und der Nacken wird gebrochen, Der sich nicht bequemt den Jochen. Sterbend spricht zu Salomo König David: [Apropos,]1 Daß ich Joab dir empfehle, Einen meiner Generäle. Dieser tapfre General Ist seit Jahren mir fatal, Doch ich wagte den Verhaßten Niemals ernstlich anzutasten. Du, mein Sohn, bist fromm und klug, Gottesfürchtig, stark genug, Und es wird dir [leicht]2 gelingen, [Jenen]3 Joab umzubringen.
1 Mendelssohn: "Apropos!"
2 Mendelssohn: "schon"
3 Mendelssohn: "Diesen"
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "König David", appears in Romanzero, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Historien, no. 13 [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "König David", 2010 [medium voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
- by Arnold Mendelssohn (1855 - 1933), "König David", published 1914?, copyright © 1914, Universal-Edition A. G. Wien [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "King David", written 2010, copyright © 2010, (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: 20
Word count: 96
Smiling fails the tyrant, For he knows, after his death, Power only changes hands And slavery has no end. Poor people! like horse and groom Remain harnessed to the cart, And necks will be broken, If they consent not to their yoke. Dying speaks Solomon to King David: "And for this, I recommend to you, Joab, One of my generals. "This gallant general Has been working secretly against me, But against this hated one I never acted in earnest. "You, my son, are pious and wise, God-fearing, strong enough And in time you can easily Kill one like a Joab."
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "King David", written 2010, copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "König David", appears in Romanzero, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Historien, no. 13
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-12-28
Line count: 20
Word count: 100