Volume 5 / Book 3 — ERNST MORITZ ARNDT
Reading edition
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SONG OF THE FATHERLAND[9] (1813)
God, who gave iron, purposed ne'er That man should be a slave; Therefore the sabre, sword, and spear In his right hand He gave. Therefore He gave him fiery mood, Fierce speech, and free-born breath, That he might fearlessly the feud Maintain through blood and death.
Therefore will we what God did say, With honest truth, maintain— And ne'er a fellow-creature slay, A tyrant's pay to gain! But he shall perish by stroke of brand Who fighteth for sin and shame, And not inherit the German land With men of the German name.
O Germany! bright Fatherland! O German love so true! Thou sacred land—thou beauteous land— We swear to thee anew! Outlawed, each knave and coward shall The crow and raven feed; But we will to the battle all— Revenge shall be our meed.
Flash forth, flash forth, whatever can, To bright and flaming life! Now, all ye Germans, man for man, Forth to the holy strife! Your hands lift upward to the sky— Your hearts shall upward soar— And man for man let each one cry, Our slavery is o'er!
Let sound, let sound, whatever can Trumpet and fife and drum! This day our sabres, man for man, To stain with blood, we come; With hangman's and with coward's blood, O glorious day of ire That to all Germans soundeth good!— Day of our great desire!
Let wave, let wave, whatever can— Standard and banner wave! Here will we purpose, man for man, To grace a hero's grave. Advance, ye brave ranks, hardily— Your banners wave on high; We'll gain us freedom's victory, Or freedom's death we'll die!
[Illustration: ERNST MORITZ ARNDT Julius Röting]
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UNION SONG[10] (1814)
This blessed hour we are united, Of German men a mighty choir, And from the lips of each, delighted, Our praying souls to heaven aspire; With high and sacred awe abounding We join in solemn thoughts today, And so our hearts should be resounding In clear harmonic song and play.
To whom shall foremost thanks be given? To God, the great, so long concealed, Who, when the cloud of shame was riven, Himself in flames to us revealed, Who, stubborn foes with lightning felling, Restored to us our strength of yore, Who, on the stars in power dwelling, Reigns ever and forevermore.
Who should our second wish be hearing? The majesty of Fatherland— Destroyed be those who still are sneering! Hail them who with it fall and stand! By virtue winning admiration, Beloved for honesty and might, Long live through centuries our nation As strong in honor and in might!
The third is German manhood's treasure— Ring out it shall, with clearness mete! For Freedom is the German pleasure, And Germans step to Freedom's beat. Be life and death by her inspirèd— Of German hearts, oh, longing bright! And death for Freedom's sake desirèd Is German honor and delight.
The fourth—for noble consecration Now lift on high both heart and hand! Old loyalty within our nation And German faith forever stand!— These virtues shall, our weal assuring, Remain our union's shield and stay; Our manly word will be enduring Until the world shall pass away.
Now let the final chord be ringing In jubilee—stand not apart! Let sound our mighty, joyful singing From lip to lip, from heart to heart! The weal from which no devils bar us, The word that doth our league infold— The bliss which tyrants cannot mar us We must believe in, we must hold!