As we sat by our campfire staring up at the moon, planets, stars, we were reminded that living in a city deprives you of little pleasures in life. One among them is failing to see how beautiful the night sky truly is. City lights blind us to the vast majority of the sky's beauty.
I couldn't help but recall my favorite piece by Beethoven, in the finale of his 9th Symphony. While I don't pretend to know Beethoven's motivation behind the words, the lines "We enter, drunk with fire, Heavenly one, your sanctuary!" Admiring the beauty of the heavens from around a campfire....
Scroll down, push play and turn it up LOUD. Remember, Beethoven was deaf and couldn't hear his own work. Then enjoy the words....
Translated from the original German:
- Oh friends, not these tones!
- Rather, let us raise our voices in more pleasing
- And more joyful sounds!
- Joy! (Joy!)
- Joy! (Joy!)
- Joy, beautiful spark of the gods*
- Daughter of Elysium,
- We enter, drunk with fire,
- Heavenly one, your sanctuary!
- Your magic reunites
- What custom strictly divided.
- All men become brothers,
- Where your gentle wing rests.
- Whoever has had the great fortune
- To be a friend's friend,
- Whoever has won a devoted wife,
- Join in our jubilation!
- Indeed, whoever can call even one soul
- His own on this earth!
- And whoever was never able to, must creep
- Tearfully away from this band!
No comments:
Post a Comment