Ode "An die Freude"

Music: Ludwig van Beethoven,
Final of Symphony No. 9

Text: Friedrich Schiller

Original Text in German:

Freunde, nicht dieser Töne!
Sondern lasst uns angenehmere
anstimmen, und freudenvollere!

Freude, Schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuer-trunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!

Deine Zauber binden wieder,
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

Wem der grosse Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein,
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!

Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!

Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.

Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.

Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels Prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.

Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuer-trunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!

Deine Zauber binden wieder,
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!
Brüder über'm Sternenzelt
Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen.

Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such'ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muss er wohnen.

English translation:

Oh friends, no more of these sad tones!
Let us rather raise our voices together
In more pleasant and joyful tones.

Joy, thou shining spark of God,
Daughter of Elysium,
With fiery rapture, goddess,
We approach thy shrine.

Your magic reunites
That which stern custom has parted;
All humans will become brothers
Under your protective wing.

Let the man who has had the fortune
To be a helper to his friend,
And the man who has won a noble woman,
Join in our chorus of jubilation!

Yes, even if he holds but one soul
As his own in all the world!
But let the man who knows nothing of this
Steal away alone and in sorrow.

All the world's creatures drink
From the breasts of nature;
Both the good and the evil
Follow her trail of roses.

She gave us kisses and wine
And a friend loyal unto death;
She gave the joy of life to the lowliest,
And to the angels who dwell with God.

Joyous, as his suns speed
Through the glorious order of Heaven,
Hasten, brothers, on your way,
Joyful as a hero to victory.

Be embraced, all ye millions!
With a kiss for all the world!
Brothers, beyond the stars
Surely dwells a loving Father.

Do you kneel before him, oh millions?
Do you sense the Creator's presence?
Seek him beyond the stars!
He must dwell beyond the stars.


Remark: The European Union has officially adopted the music without the text.

Here is another unofficial text written for the European anthem in German language:

Hymne an Europa
Text: Mario Puttner

1. Du Europa voller Leben
Sollst nun eine Einheit sein,
Dann wirst du den Menschen geben
Frieden, Glück und Sonnenschein;
|:Jedes Volk auf dieser Erde
Wird des Nachbarn guter Freund,
Auf daß endlich Friede werde,
Der uns Menschen froh vereint.:|  

2. Du Europa weintest Tränen
Und du warst ein großes Grab,
Hoffnungslos blieb jedes Sehnen,
Da es nirgends Frieden gab;
|:Keine Sonne für die Herzen
Brachte die Vergangenheit,
Stummes Leid und tiefe Schmerzen
Herrschten viel zu lange Zeit.:|

3. Du Europa bist erkoren
Für den Frieden unsrer Welt
Endlich ist das Licht geboren,
Das der Menschen Sein erhellt;
|:Alle Völker wollen geben
Sich in Freundschaft nun die Hand,
Glücklich wird jetzt unser Leben,
Frei sind wir in jedem Land.:|

4. Seid gegrüßet, ihr Nationen
In Europas weitem Rund
Unter uns soll Frieden wohnen,
Freundschaft als ein ew'ger Bund
|:Auf Gewalt und Haß verzichten
Heißt verstehen und verzeih'n.
Haß und Krieg, die uns vernichten,
Laßt verdrängt durch Liebe sein.:|

Sources:
http://www.frankfurter-verbindungen.de/studentenlieder/dueuropavollerleben.html
http://www.ingeb.org/Lieder/dueuropa.html

Quote:

Please note that both sources include slight orthographical mistakes. I don't want to be overcritical, but I have corrected the first two lines of verse 4: The correct word is "Seid" instead of "Seit", and "Rund" is spelled without apostrophe as it's "das Rund", not a shortened form of "die Runde". (The apostrophe in "ew'ger" is indeed recommended.)

Italian:

Versione italiana ufficiale dell'inno.

Nota: Le versioni ufficiali nelle varie lingue dell' "Ode an die Freude" utilizzano generalmente solo le prime strofe (fino al verso "Über Sternen muss er wohnen"). Ci atteniamo a quest'uso ripromettendoci di fornire quanto prima una versione letterale completa del testo schilleriano. (RV)
INNO ALLA GIOIA

O amici, non questi suoni!
ma intoniamone altri
più piacevoli, e più gioiosi.

Gioia, bella scintilla divina,
figlia degli Elisei,
noi entriamo ebbri e frementi,
celeste, nel tuo tempio.
La tua magia ricongiunge
ciò che la moda ha rigidamente diviso,
tutti gli uomini diventano fratelli,
dove la tua ala soave freme.

L'uomo a cui la sorte benevola,
concesse di essere amico di un amico,
chi ha ottenuto una donna leggiadra,
unisca il suo giubilo al nostro!
Sì, - chi anche una sola anima
possa dir sua nel mondo!
Chi invece non c'è riuscito,
lasci piangente e furtivo questa compagnia!

Gioia bevono tutti i viventi
dai seni della natura;
tutti i buoni, tutti i malvagi
seguono la sua traccia di rose!
Baci ci ha dato e uva, un amico,
provato fino alla morte!
La voluttà fu concessa al verme,
e il cherubino sta davanti a Dio!

Lieti, come i suoi astri volano
attraverso la volta splendida del cielo,
percorrete, fratelli, la vostra strada,
gioiosi, come un eroe verso la vittoria.
Abbracciatevi, moltitudini!
Questo bacio vada al mondo intero Fratelli,
sopra il cielo stellato
deve abitare un padre affettuoso.

Vi inginocchiate, moltitudini?
Intuisci il tuo creatore, mondo?
Cercalo sopra il cielo stellato!
Sopra le stelle deve abitare!

(inviata da Riccardo Venturi)

Another version (same source):

INNO ALLA GIOIA

Gioia figlia della luce, Dea dei carmi, Dea dei fior!
Il tuo genio ci conduce per sentieri di splendor.
Il tuo raggio asciuga il pianto, sperde l'ira e fugge il duol!
Vien! sorridi a noi d'accanto Primogenita del Sol!

Qual nell'arnia armoniosa già s'inserte il suono al suon,
e la voce della sposa già s'unisce alla canzon.
Ma da noi ritorca al viso chi la gioia in cor non ha,
l'uom che mai non ha sorriso certo in Ciel non salirà.

Dea dei palpiti giocondi gioia sacra ed immortal,
tu sei l'anima dei mondi,sei l'ebbrezza celestial:
sei la pace e la speranza, sei dei pampini l'umor,
sul tuo metro eterna danza move il mar e l'astro d'or.

(inviata da Riccardo Venturi)



(From: http://www.prato.linux.it/~lmasetti/antiwarsongs/canzone.php?lang=it&id=1996; there are still more versions there.)

Finnish (first verse):

Oodi ilolle

Iloitkaamme, riemuitkaamme,
nouse laulu taivaaseen.
Nousta saamme, nousta saamme
henkes pyhän yhteyteen.
Lumovoimas yhteen liittää
minkä aika erottaa,
veljeyttä kaikki kiittää,
kun sun kätes koskettaa.

Source:
http://www.interlingua.fi/upeu/freude.htm

The Tapiola Choir sings this verse (besides the German original) on the CD "Europe into the New Millennium" (ODE 999-2, February 2000).

Danish translation from the 19th century (with modern orthography):

ODE »TIL GLÆDEN«

Skønne ungdomsflamme, glæde,
Ånde, som fra Himlen kom;
Hjerteglødende betræde
Vi dit tempels helligdom.
Hvad i kvalme verdens vrimmel
Modens herredom har delt,
Lutres, under sandheds himmel,
Til et evigt broderhelt.

Hvo som venskabsbånd har bundet
Venskabs rene sympati;
Hvem en elsket viv har fundet
Blande her sin jubel i.
Ja! – Hvo blot en sjæl har vundet
Her på Jorden juble med;
Den, som aldrig ret har kunnet,
Gå med gråd fra dette sted.

Onde, gode, alle drikke
Glæder af naturens bryst;
Følger skabningsrækken ikke
Hendes rosenspor til lyst? –
Kys og druen os oplived
Og en trofast prøvet ven;
Vellyst blev selv ormen givet
Og cheruben – Himmelen!

Sheet Music (Ode to Joy - Without Lyrics)

[quote author=Jan  link=1079275113/0#5 date=1099088059]A shortened version of the "Ode to Joy", sung in German (the first and the last two verses of Schiller's poem):

[…] [/quote]
Correction:

Beethoven did not set Schiller's last verses to music.

The last verses of the "Ode an die Freude" are:

Festen Mut in schwerem Leiden,  
Hülfe, wo die Unschuld weint,  
Ewigkeit geschwornen Eiden,  
Wahrheit gegen Freund und Feind,  
Männerstolz vor Königsthronen, –  
Brüder, gält es Gut und Blut –  
Dem Verdienste seine Kronen,  
Untergang der Lügenbrut!  
 
Chor
Schließt den heilgen Zirkel dichter,  
Schwört bei diesem goldnen Wein,  
Dem Gelübde treu zu sein,  
Schwört es bei dem Sternenrichter!  
 
[Originally followed by:]
 
Rettung von Tirannenketten,  
Großmut auch dem Bösewicht,  
Hoffnung auf den Sterbebetten,  
Gnade auf dem Hochgericht!  
Auch die Toten sollen leben!  
Brüder trinkt und stimmet ein,  
Allen Sündern soll vergeben,  
Und die Hölle nicht mehr sein.  
 
Chor
Eine heitre Abschiedsstunde!  
Süßen Schlaf im Leichentuch!  
Brüder – einen sanften Spruch  
Aus des Totenrichters Munde!

Source:
http://mitglied.lycos.de/spangenberg/gedichte/schiller/schil016.html

Jan wrote on 18.10.2004 at 04:24:16:

I would like to correct the above statement that Rhodesia had at any time an apartheid government. Unlike South Africa, where distinction between the races was enshrined in law, Rhodesia at no time in its history adopted any laws based on race. The Rhodesian government always believed in equal opportunities for all and any distinctions made were made on grounds of educational qualifications only i.e there were two voters rolls, the A and B voters rolls. To qualify for the A voters roll, a certain minimum standard of education had to be achieved by black as well as white residents of the country. I believe that the standard was at least 5 years of primary school education. That this favoured the white population is undeniable as the A votes carried more weight in any election than those of voters on the B role. But don't forget that Rhodesia was still a very young nation - only 70 years old at the time when Ian Smith declared the country's independence from Britain on 11th November 1965. What had been achieved economically and in every other way during this short period of time and in the next 15 years whilst the Smith government was still in power is unbelievable.

szbszig wrote on 13.12.2006 at 06:11:13:

Hans Caldaras is a Swedish-born artist of Romani origin. Presumably, he sings the lines in question not in Romanian but in Romani.

See also:
http://www.caldaras.com/index2.html