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Wälze dich hinweg, du wildes Feuer! [Meine]1 Saiten hat ein Gott gekrönt, Er, mit welchem jedes Ungeheuer, Und vielleicht die Hölle sich versöhnt. [Meine]1 Saiten stimmte seine Rechte: Fürchterliche Schatten, flieht! Und ihr winselnden Bewohner dieser Nächte, Horchet auf mein Lied! Von der Erde, wo die Sonne leuchtet, Und der stille Mond; Wo der Thau das junge Mooß befeuchtet, Wo Gesang im grünen Felde wohnt; Aus der Menschen süßem Vaterlande, Wo der Himmel euch so frohe Blicke gab, Ziehen mich die schönsten Bande, Ziehet mich die Liebe selbst herab. Meine Klage tönt in eure Klage: Weit von hier geflohen ist das Glück; Aber denkt an jene Tage, Schaut in jene Welt zurück. Wenn ihr da nur einen Leidenden umarmtet; O so fühlt die Wollust noch einmal, Und der Augenblick, in dem ihr euch erbarmtet, Lindre diese lange Quaal. O ich sehe Thränen fließen; Durch die Finsternisse bricht [Nun]2 ein Strahl von Hoffnung; ewig büßen Lassen euch die guten Götter nicht! Götter, die für euch die Erde schufen, Werden, aus der tiefen Nacht, Euch in selige Gefilde rufen, Wo die Tugend unter Rosen lacht.
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View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Sämtliche Werke, von Johann Georg Jacobi. Dritter Theil. Mit gnädigstem Privilegio. Halberstadt, bey Johann Heinrich Gros, Königl. Preuß. privilegierten Buchhändler. 1774, pages 262-263; with Musen-Almanach A. MDCCLXXI [1771] Göttingen, bey J. C. Dieterich, pages 163-165; and with Gedichte von Johann Georg Jacobi. Erster Theil. Wien, 1816. Bey Ch. Kaulfuß & C. Armbruster (Meisterwerke deutscher Dichter und Prosaisten. Sechzehntes Bändchen), pages 75-76.
1 Schubert, and Jacobi (1816 edition, line 2 only): "Diese"2 omitted by Schubert
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Georg Jacobi (1740 - 1814), "Lied des Orpheus, als er in die Hölle gieng", first published 1771 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Orpheus", alternate title: "Lied des Orpheus, als er in die Hölle ging", D 474 (1816), published 1832 [ voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Orfeu", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Orpheus - Lied van Orpheus toen hij in de onderwereld afdaalde", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Orpheus", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Orphée", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Orfeo", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 186
Back, wild fire! These strings were crowned by a god; a god with whom every monster, and perhaps even Hell is reconciled. These strings were tuned with his right hand: terrible shades, flee! And you, whining dwellers of these nights, harken to my song! From the earth, where the sun shines and the silent moon, where dew moistens young moss, where Song dwells in green fields; from the sweet fatherland of Man, where Heaven gives you such cheerful glances, I am drawn here by the fairest of threads - I am drawn down here by Love itself. My laments echoe in your own laments; far from you has happiness fled - yet think upon those days, look back to that world! If you embrace just one suffering person, o, then you will feel delight one more, and the moment in which you pity each other will ease your long torment. O, I see tears flowing! Through the darkness breaks a beam of hope; the gods may not make you do penance forever. The gods, who for you created the earth, will, from the deep night, summon you to blessed fields, where virtue laughs among the roses.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Georg Jacobi (1740 - 1814), "Lied des Orpheus, als er in die Hölle gieng", first published 1771
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 195