Freude Schöner Götterfunken

For those who have marvelled at the lyrics to “Ode to Joy”, from Beethoven’s “glorious ninth”: 

http://grooveshark.com/#/s/Ode+To+Joy+freude+Schoner+Gotterfunken+/3PlvXz?src=5

Freude, schöner Götterfunken,

Tochter aus Elysium,

Wir betreten feuertrunken,

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!


The Glorious Ninth indeed. Brilliant language, German. Dense, sophisticated-sounding words, koottezhuthu, a sense of purpose and meaning accompanying the pronunciation of every word. 

Now imagine yourself in a Vienna opera house with the Ninth being performed on stage, chorus and all. There’s something unbearably poetic about this - maybe the same thing that moves all those people in Youtube videos to tears during classical performances. It may be instructive to dwell upon the true meaning of the word “marvellous” and listen/read the piece again. Beethoven was completely deaf when he wrote the Ninth - how one can even try forming a mental picture of his unmatched and sheer genius?

Source: lyricsmania.com

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  1. urgu posted this