Es war ein 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 heil’gen 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.
There was a king in Thule
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Faithful to the grave,
To whom his mistress, as she died,
Gave a golden beaker.
He valued nothing higher,
He drained it at every feast,
And each time he drank from it,
His eyes would fill with tears.
And when he came to die,
He counted the cities of his realm,
Gave all he had to his heirs,
The beaker though excepted.
He sat at the royal banquet,
Surrounded by his knights,
There in the lofty ancestral hall,
In the castle by the sea.
There he stood, that old toper,
Drank his life’s last glow,
And hurled the sacred beaker
Into the waves below.
He saw it fall and fill
And sink deep into the sea.
His eyes closed;
He never drank another drop.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Es war ein König in Thule
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
There was a king in Thule
English source:
Richard Stokes
Es war ein König in Thule
There was a king in Thule,
Gar treu bis an das Grab,
Faithful to the grave,
Dem sterbend seine Buhle
To whom his mistress, as she died,
Einen goldnen Becher gab.
Gave a golden beaker.
Es ging ihm nichts darüber,
He valued nothing higher,
Er leert’ ihn jeden Schmaus;
He drained it at every feast,
Die Augen gingen ihm über,
And each time he drank from it,
So oft er trank daraus.
His eyes would fill with tears.
Und als er kam zu sterben,
And when he came to die,
Zählt’ er seine Städt’ im Reich,
He counted the cities of his realm,
Gönnt’ alles seinen Erben,
Gave all he had to his heirs,
Den Becher nicht zugleich.
The beaker though excepted.
Er saß beim Königsmahle,
He sat at the royal banquet,
Die Ritter um ihn her,
Surrounded by his knights,
Auf hohem Vätersaale,
There in the lofty ancestral hall,
Dort auf dem Schloß am Meer.
In the castle by the sea.
Dort stand der alte Zecher,
There he stood, that old toper,
Trank letzte Lebensglut,
Drank his life’s last glow,
Und warf den heil’gen Becher
And hurled the sacred beaker
Hinunter in die Flut.
Into the waves below.
Er sah ihn stürzen, trinken
He saw it fall and fill
Und sinken tief ins Meer.
And sink deep into the sea.
Die Augen täten ihm sinken;
His eyes closed;
Trank nie einen Tropfen mehr.
He never drank another drop.
Composer
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, music teacher, arranger and organist of the Romantic era. He was also a writer, a philanthropist, a Hungarian nationalist and a Franciscan…
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…