Joy, thou glorious spark of heaven,
Daughter of Elysium,
We approach fire-drunk,
Heavenly One, your shrine.
Your magic reunites
What strict customs would divide;
All people become brothers,
Where your gentle wing alights.
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
E'en round the ceiling stars
Do our loving brothers dwell.
Will you bow down, you millions?
Will you sense and make the world?
God dwells beyond the star-canopy!
And beneath the stars as well.
Whoever wins in the great attempt
To be a friend of a friend,
Whoever has won a loving partner,
Let him add his jubilation!
Yes, who can call even one soul
His own on the earth's globe!
Who never has, let him steal,
Weeping, away from our tide.
All creatures drink joy
At the breasts of nature;
All the good, all the evil
Follow her roses' trail.
Kisses gave she us, and wine,
A friend, proven unto death;
Pleasure was to the worm granted,
As to the cherub before God.
Glad, as the suns fly
Through glorious space,
Run, our brothers, your race,
Joyful, as to victory.
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Below as beyond the star-canopy
Do our loving Brothers dwell.
Will you lay down, you millions?
Or will you sense and make the world?
Seek Him beyond the star-canopy!
Beneath the stars He also dwells.
-- Schiller tweaked by Beethoven, translation from wikipedia tweaked by Pete touching on the
IllusionOfIndividuality.
Dear Pete, could you put this lyrics explicitely under CreativeCommons licence CcBySa, because
there is an initiative to make this a (part of the) WorldAnthem?. It would be helpful, if you published this
text on your personal WebPage or Blog , if it exists. Thank you. -- FridemarPache
Ode To Joy