Der König in Thule
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Gar treu bis an das Grab,
Dem sterbend seine Buhle
Einen goldnen Becher gab.
Es ging ihm nichts darüber,
Er leert ihn jeden Schmaus;
Die Augen gingen ihm über,
So oft er trank daraus.
Und als er kam zu sterben,
Zählt’ er seine Städt’ im Reich,
Gönnt alles seinen Erben,
Den Becher nicht zugleich.
Er sass beim Königsmahle,
Die Ritter um ihn her,
Auf hohem Vätersaale,
Dort auf dem Schloss am Meer.
Dort stand der alte Zecher,
Trank letzte Lebensglut,
Und warf den heilgen Becher
Hinunter in die Flut.
Er sah ihn stürzen, trinken
Und sinken tief ins Meer.
Die Augen täten ihm sinken;
Trank nie einen Tropfen mehr.
The King of Thule
English translation ©
Richard Wigmore
faithful unto the grave,
whose dying mistress
gave him a golden goblet.
Nothing was more precious to him;
he drained it at every feast.
His eyes filled with tears
whenever he drank from it.
And when he came to die
he counted the towns in his realm,
bequeathed all to his heirs,
except for that goblet.
He sat at the royal banquet,
his knights around him
in the lofty ancestral hall
in his castle by the sea.
The old toper stood there,
drank life’s last glowing draught,
and hurled the sacred goblet
into the waves below.
He watched it fall and drink
and sink deep into the sea.
His eyes, too, sank;
he drank not one drop more.
Der König in Thule
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The King of Thule
English source:
Richard Wigmore
Es war ein König in Thule
There was a king in Thule
Gar treu bis an das Grab,
faithful unto the grave,
Dem sterbend seine Buhle
whose dying mistress
Einen goldnen Becher gab.
gave him a golden goblet.
Es ging ihm nichts darüber,
Nothing was more precious to him;
Er leert ihn jeden Schmaus;
he drained it at every feast.
Die Augen gingen ihm über,
His eyes filled with tears
So oft er trank daraus.
whenever he drank from it.
Und als er kam zu sterben,
And when he came to die
Zählt’ er seine Städt’ im Reich,
he counted the towns in his realm,
Gönnt alles seinen Erben,
bequeathed all to his heirs,
Den Becher nicht zugleich.
except for that goblet.
Er sass beim Königsmahle,
He sat at the royal banquet,
Die Ritter um ihn her,
his knights around him
Auf hohem Vätersaale,
in the lofty ancestral hall
Dort auf dem Schloss am Meer.
in his castle by the sea.
Dort stand der alte Zecher,
The old toper stood there,
Trank letzte Lebensglut,
drank life’s last glowing draught,
Und warf den heilgen Becher
and hurled the sacred goblet
Hinunter in die Flut.
into the waves below.
Er sah ihn stürzen, trinken
He watched it fall and drink
Und sinken tief ins Meer.
and sink deep into the sea.
Die Augen täten ihm sinken;
His eyes, too, sank;
Trank nie einen Tropfen mehr.
he drank not one drop more.
Composer
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He…
Poet
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a German writer and statesman. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on…