Ode to Joy

Not much to be found around a typical Liverpool transit van, seemingly...
Nice afternoon at the Victoria Gallery and lunch at the Everyman Bistro, and a lovely sunset on the way home. Despite all those photo ops I decided to go with the van door shot just because it's so typically Scouse. When I got home #2 son was listening to Beethoven and working on a music assignment for uni, and I was reminded how completely out of this world his music is. Note to self: must listen to more classical music this year like I used to.

I found this link to Leonard Berstein talking about the magic of Beethoven, and hope some of you enjoy the Ode "An die Freude" as much as I do.

"O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere
anstimmen und freudenvollere.
Freude! Freude!"


O friends, not these sounds!
Let us strike up something more
pleasant, full of gladness.
Joy, beautiful divine spark,
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter, drunk with fire,
O heavenly one, your holy shrine.
Your magic once again bonds together
What custom strictly divided,
All Mankind become brothers
Where your gentle wings hold sway.


He who has the great good fortune
To be friend to a friend,
He who has won a dear wife,
Let him mix his rejoicing with ours!
Yes--and whoever has but one soul
Somewhere in the world to call his own!
And he who cannot, let him steal away,
Weeping, out of this company.

Joy is drunk by every creature
From Nature's breast;
Every good one, every bad one
Follows her rosy pathway.
She gave us kisses, and wine,
And one friend, tried unto death;
Even to the worm ecstasy is given,
and the cherub stands before God.


Gladly, as his Suns fly through
The magnificent plan of the heavens,
Run, my brothers, your own course
Joyfully, like a hero off to conquest.


Joy, beautiful divine spark, etc.

Let me embrace you, O millions!
This kiss is for the whole world!
Brothers, above the starry firmament
A loving Father must surely dwell.
Do you fall down, O millions?
Are you aware of your Creator, world?
Seek Him above the starry firmament!
For above the stars He must dwell.


~ Ode to Joy by Schiller.