This song was recorded on the album 'Schubert Year by Year' on Stone Records, in preparation for Oxford Lieder's 2014 The Schubert Project, the first ever complete performance of Schubert's songs in a single festival. It features one song from each year of Schubert's creative life.
Click here to listen to the song with Daniel Norman and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Text & Translation
Der Vatermörder
German source:
Pfeffel, Gottlieb
Kein Wolf, kein Tiger, nein,
Der Mensch allein, der Tiere Fürst,
Erfand den Vatermord allein.
Der Täter floh, um dem Gericht
Sein Opfer zu entziehn,
In einen Wald, doch konnt er nicht
Den innern Richter fliehn.
Verzehrt und hager, stumm und bleich
Mit Lumpen angetan,
Dem Dämon der Verzweiflung gleich,
Traf ihn ein Häscher an.
Voll Grimm zerstörte der Barbar
Ein Nest mit einem Stein
Und mordete die kleine Schar
Der armen Vögelein.
„Halt ein!“ rief ihm der Scherge zu,
„Verruchter Bösewicht,
Mit welchem Rechte marterst du
Die frommen Tierchen so?“
„Was fromm,“ sprach jener, den die Wut
Kaum hörbar stammeln liess,
„Ich tat es, weil die Höllenbrut
Mich Vatermörder hiess.“
Der Mann beschaut ihn, seine Tat
Verrät sein irrer Blick.
Er fasst den Mörder, und das Rad
Bestraft sein Bubenstück.
Du, heiliges Gewissen, bist
Der Tugend letzter Freund;
Ein schreckliches Triumphlied ist
Dein Donner ihrem Feind.
A father died by his son’s hand.
English translation ©
Richard Wigmore
No wolf, no tiger,
but man alone, the prince of beasts,
he alone invented parricide.
To cheat the law of its victim,
the murderer fled
into a wood, yet he could not
escape the inner judge.
Consumed and haggard, silent and pale,
dressed in rags,
like the demon of despair
he was found by a henchman.
Filled with rage, the savage man
destroyed a nest with a stone
and murdered the little brood
of poor fledglings.
‘Stop,’ cried the henchman,
‘accursed murderer,
what right do you have
to torture these harmless creatures?’
‘Harmless?’ he replied, stammering,
barely audible in his fury,
‘I did it because this hellish brood
called me a parricide.’
The henchman looked at him
whose crazed look betrayed his deed.
he seized the murderer, and the rack
punished the evil man.
You, sacred conscience, are
virtue’s last friend;
to her enemy your thunder
is an awesome song of triumph.
Der Vatermörder
German source:
Pfeffel, Gottlieb
A father died by his son’s hand.
English source:
Richard Wigmore
Ein Vater starb von des Sohnes Hand.
A father died by his son’s hand.
Kein Wolf, kein Tiger, nein,
No wolf, no tiger,
Der Mensch allein, der Tiere Fürst,
but man alone, the prince of beasts,
Erfand den Vatermord allein.
he alone invented parricide.
Der Täter floh, um dem Gericht
To cheat the law of its victim,
Sein Opfer zu entziehn,
the murderer fled
In einen Wald, doch konnt er nicht
into a wood, yet he could not
Den innern Richter fliehn.
escape the inner judge.
Verzehrt und hager, stumm und bleich
Consumed and haggard, silent and pale,
Mit Lumpen angetan,
dressed in rags,
Dem Dämon der Verzweiflung gleich,
like the demon of despair
Traf ihn ein Häscher an.
he was found by a henchman.
Voll Grimm zerstörte der Barbar
Filled with rage, the savage man
Ein Nest mit einem Stein
destroyed a nest with a stone
Und mordete die kleine Schar
and murdered the little brood
Der armen Vögelein.
of poor fledglings.
„Halt ein!“ rief ihm der Scherge zu,
‘Stop,’ cried the henchman,
„Verruchter Bösewicht,
‘accursed murderer,
Mit welchem Rechte marterst du
what right do you have
Die frommen Tierchen so?“
to torture these harmless creatures?’
„Was fromm,“ sprach jener, den die Wut
‘Harmless?’ he replied, stammering,
Kaum hörbar stammeln liess,
barely audible in his fury,
„Ich tat es, weil die Höllenbrut
‘I did it because this hellish brood
Mich Vatermörder hiess.“
called me a parricide.’
Der Mann beschaut ihn, seine Tat
The henchman looked at him
Verrät sein irrer Blick.
whose crazed look betrayed his deed.
Er fasst den Mörder, und das Rad
he seized the murderer, and the rack
Bestraft sein Bubenstück.
punished the evil man.
Du, heiliges Gewissen, bist
You, sacred conscience, are
Der Tugend letzter Freund;
virtue’s last friend;
Ein schreckliches Triumphlied ist
to her enemy your thunder
Dein Donner ihrem Feind.
is an awesome song of triumph.
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
Pfeffel, Gottlieb
Gottlieb Konrad Pfeffel was a French-German writer and translator, whose texts were put to music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn and Franz Schubert. He is sometimes also known as Amédée or Théophile Conrad Pfeffel, which is the French…