Vaterlandslied

Vaterlandslied is the name of several patriotic German poems. The most famous one is ″Ich bin ein deutsches Mädchen″ written by Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock in 1770 and dedicated to Johanna Elisabeth von Winthem.

Historic background

Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock already was a devout patriot as a youth, as is shown by a War Song written in 1749 honouring the Prussian king Frederick the Great. When the king, however, did not patronize German artists and poets but declared his love for French culture, Klopstock thought that it was up to him to defend German poetry.

Due to the political development during his lifetime, the disappointment with regard to the king's distaste of German culture, and the zeitgeist, his patriotism did not refer to Klopstock's present but to the past. The War Song consequently was rededicated to Henry the Fowler, and Arminius became a regular figure in Klopstock's œuvres. Among these works dedicated to the "liberator of Germany" are the poem "Hermann und Thusnelda" and the "Bardiete" (Klopstock's term for the genre of barditus or "battle song" after Tacitus' Germania) Hermann's Schlacht (1769), Hermann und die Prinzen (1784) and Hermann's Tod (1787).

The Vaterlandslied as a paean of German patriotism joins this list of literature exalting the nation. It was originally written for Johanna Elisabeth von Winthem, Klopstock's stepdaughter, who still was a child in 1770.

Klopstock's text

German	English
1. Ich bin ein deutsches Mädchen. Mein Aug' ist blau, und sanft mein Blick; Ich hab' ein Herz, Das edel ist und stolz und gut.	1. I am a German girl! My eyes are blue and soft my glance, I have a heart That is noble and proud and good.
2. Ich bin ein deutsches Mädchen. Zorn blickt mein blaues Aug' auf den, Es haßt mein Herz Den, der sein Vaterland verkennt.	2. I am a German girl! My blue eyes look enraged upon him, And my heart hates him, Who misjudges his fatherland.
3. Ich bin ein deutsches Mädchen. Erköre mir kein ander Land Zum Vaterland, Wär' mir auch frei die große Wahl.	3. I am a German girl! I would choose no other land For fatherland, Even if I were free to make that great choice.
4. Ich bin ein deutsches Mädchen. Mein hohes Auge blickt auch Spott, Blickt auf den, Der Säumens macht bei dieser Wahl.	4. I am a German girl! My haughty eyes glance with scorn, With scorn on him Who hesitates at this choice.
5. Du bist kein deutscher Jüngling, Bist des lauen Säumens wert, Des Vaterlands Nicht wert, wenn du's nicht liebst, wie ich.	5. You are no German youth! You are worthy of lukewarm hesitation, Not worthy of the fatherland, If you do not love it as I do!
6. Du bist kein deutscher Jüngling. Mein ganzes Herz verachtet dich, Der's Vaterland Verkennt, dich Fremdling! und dich Tor!	6. You are no German youth! My whole heart despises you, Who deny your fatherland, You foreigner! and you fool!
7. Ich bin ein deutsches Mädchen. Mein gutes, edles, stolzes Herz Schlägt laut empor Beim süßen Namen Vaterland.	7. I am a German girl! My good, noble, proud heart Surges upward At the sweet name: Fatherland.
8. So schlägt mir's beim Namen Des Jünglings nur, der, stolz wie ich Auf's Vaterland, Gut, edel ist, ein Deutscher ist.	8. So it will beat someday, only at the name Of a youth Who is as proud as I Of the fatherland, Who is good, noble, is a German.

Music

As the poem became very popular, several composers set its lyrics to music. Among them are:

• Johann Friedrich Reichardt, 1773
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, 1774
• Christian Gottlob Neefe, 1776 and 1785
• Christoph Willibald Gluck, 1786
• Franz Schubert, 1815, D 287

Other Vaterlandslieder

Matthias Claudius replied to Klopstock′s poem and wrote ″Ich bin ein deutscher Jüngling″ (I am a German lad). Both Joseph Martin Kraus and Maria Theresia von Paradis provided a melody for the song.

August Silberstein wrote a poem of the same name for which Anton Bruckner composed the music.

The most famous song of that name, besides Klopstock′s version, is, however, Ernst Moritz Arndt′s ″Der Gott, der Eisen wachsen ließ″ (The God who made iron grow), a patriotic anthem written during the Wars of Liberation against Napoleonic France. In the poem he incites his fellow countrymen to fight against the French invaders, and denounces those who actively or passively aid the occupiers and thus betray their country.

German	English
1. Der Gott, der Eisen wachsen ließ, Der wollte keine Knechte, Drum gab er Säbel, Schwert und Spieß Dem Mann in seine Rechte, Drum gab er ihm den kühnen Mut, Den Zorn der freien Rede, Dass er bestände bis aufs Blut, Bis in den Tod die Fehde.	1. The god who made iron grow Did not want slaves; Therefore he gave saber, and spear To man in his right hand; Therefore he gave him bold courage, The rage of free speech, So that he would prevail to the last drop of blood, Even unto death, in the struggle.
2. So wollen wir, was Gott gewollt, Mit rechten Treuen halten, Und nimmer um Tyrannensold Die Menschenschädel spalten; Doch wer für Tand und Schande ficht, Den hauen wir in Scherben, Der soll im deutschen Lande nicht Mit deutschen Männern erben.	2. What God desires, we desire to maintain With righteous loyalty, And never to split men's skulls For tyrant's wages; But whoever fights for trumpery and shame, Him we cut into bits. He shall not inherit in the German land With German men.
3. O Deutschland, heil'ges Vaterland! O deutsche Lieb' und Treue! Du hohes Land! Du schönes Land! Wir schwören dir aufs Neue: Dem Buben und dem Knecht die Acht, Der speise Kräh'n und Raben! So ziehn wir aus zur Hermannsschlacht Und wollen Rache haben.	3. O Germany, holy fatherland! O German love and truth! You high land! You beautiful land! We swear to thee anew: To the rascal and slave, watch out! Let him feed crows and ravens! Thus we advance for Hermann's battle, And want to take revenge.
4. Lasst brausen, was nur brausen kann, In hellen lichten Flammen! Ihr Deutsche alle, Mann für Mann, Zum heil'gen Krieg zusammen. Und hebt die Herzen himmelan Und himmelan die Hände Und rufet alle, Mann für Mann: Die Knechtschaft hat ein Ende.	4. Let roar whatever can roar, In bright radiant flames! You Germans, all, every man, To the sacred war together! And raise your hearts toward heaven, And toward heaven your hands, And call, all, every man: Slavery has an end!
5. Lasst klingen, was nur klingen kann, Die Trommeln und die Flöten! Wir wollen heute, Mann für Mann, Mit Blut das Eisen röten, Mit Feindesblut, Franzosenblut, O süßer Tag der Rache! Das klinget allen Deutschen gut, Das ist die große Sache.	5. Let resound whatever can resound, The drums and flutes! We want today, every man, To redden iron with blood, With enemy blood, French blood, O sweet day of revenge! That sounds good to all Germans, That is the great cause.
6. Lasst wehen, was nur wehen kann, Standarten weh'n und Fahnen! Wir wollen heut uns, Mann für Mann, Zum Heldentode mahnen. Auf! Fliege, hohes Siegspanier, Voran den kühnen Reihen! Wir siegen oder sterben hier Den süßen Tod der Freien.	6. Let flutter whatever can flutter, Banners flutter and flags! We want today, every man, To urge ourselves to heroic death. Up! fly high, victory banner, Before the bold ranks! We conquer or die here The sweet death of free men.

The melody was written by de.

See also

• Hermann und Thusnelda

External links

• Schubert′s version on YouTube (start: 12:41 min.) and Amazon
• Excerpts of Gluck's (Nr. 12), Schubert's (14) and Bach's (18) version on a CD by the label Gramola, and on Amazon.
• Der Gott, der Eisen wachsen ließ by Arndt on YouTube.