Freude, Tochter aus Elysium!
(Joy, Daughter of Elysium!)

It's time that Ludwig van Beethoven's work was completed by making several corrections to his own text selection of the poem by German historian Friedrich Schiller. Ludwig van was a Catholic rumored to have never attended mass. Now, at last, he's having his way with the Holy See. The music is unchanged except for a few repeated measures in the bridge to accomodate the added lines. Careful...the few changes, in italics, are important.

Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, op. 125¹
Final Movement: Presto - >>O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!<<

- Schlusschor über Friedrich von Schillers Ode >>An die Freude<<
- Final chorus from Schiller's "Ode to Joy"
- Choeur final extrait de l' <<Ode a la Joie>> de Schiller

Ode: An die Freude

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen
Und freudenvollere!

Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
-Deine Zauber binden wieder,
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
(Alle Wesen werden Schwestern,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.)*

Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein,
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
-Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund.

Freude trinken alle wesen.
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur,
-Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und Cherubim steh'n vor "Gott!"**

[Brücke]
Froh, wie ihre*** Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels Prächt'gen Gang,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen!
Laufet, Schwestern, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie eine Heldin zum Siegen!

Seid umschlungen, Millionen,
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder (Schwestern)*! Mitten'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein liebes Schöpfer wohnen.
-Ihr feiert schon, Millionen?
Ahnest du das Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' es mitten'm Sternenzelt! [aber]****
Hinter Augen muß es wohnen.


* Words in parenthesis are sung only in the 2nd, 4th, etc. passes through this section in lieu of the regular formula.
** Gott, left in for rhyme and other reasons. Dein/Deine (Thy) are personifications of Freude.
*** ihre: in reference to Freude. All six lines of this section are sung straight through.
**** aber: for emphasis of final line. Do not recite.

Ode to Joy

O friends, not these sounds!
Rather, let us strike up more pleasant ones,
And [ones] full of Joy!

Joy, beautiful spark of gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter fire-imbided,
Heavenly, Thy sanctuary!
-Your magic reunites,
That which custom has strictly divided;
All mankind becomes brothers
Where Thy gentle wings abide.
(All sentient beings* become sisters
Where Thy gentle wings abide.)

Whoever has earned the great fortune,
To be a friend's friend,
Whoever has won the love of a devoted wife,
Join the jubilation!
-Indeed, whoever can call even one soul
His own is counted among this earthly circle!
And whoever was never able to shall creep
Tearfully away from this union.

Joy all creatures drink
At nature's bosom;
All good ones, all evil ones
Follow her rose-petalled path.
-Kisses she gave us, and [grape] vines
A friend proven in death.
Pleasure [even] the worm was given,
And Cherubim stand before "Gott."

[bridge]
Cheerfully, as her suns fly,
Through the heavens' splendid course,
Run, brothers, along your path
Joyfully, like a hero to victory!
Run, sisters, along your path
Joyfully, like a heroine to victory!

Be embraced, you millions,
This kiss is for all the world!
Brothers (sisters)! Among the starry canopy,
Must a loving creator** live.
-Do you*** rejoice yet, you millions?
Do you sense the creator, world?
Seek it among the starry canopy, [but]
Behind eyes must it dwell.


* Wesen - sentient beings; Schwestern - sisters.
**Schöpfer (creator), is the same in both singular and the plural. Technically speaking, it is a masculine noun in spite of the neuter das used here.
***Ihr (you) is plural, like ya'all in the American south. Du is singular.

" A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He [and frequently she] experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. "

-A. Einstein²

.
.
.
E Unus Pluribum
E Pluribus Unum
E Unus Pluribum
E Pluribus Unum
.
.
.

"Oh, how beautiful it is to live - and live a thousand times over!"
-LvB

1. See the CD liner of Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Karl Böhm, on Deutsche Grammophon, 1970 Polydor International GmbH, Hamburg.
2. Rudolf v.B. Rucker, Geometry, Relativity and the Fourth Dimension, (New York: Dover Publications, 1977), p. 118.