Ode to Joy

Staying with friends in Cleveland this weekend, I attended a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. In preparation, I looked up the lyrics to Schiller's original "Ode to Joy," which Beethoven excerpted and adapted for the symphony. I'm reproducing some selections below, based on translations I found here and here, though I've done quite a bit of my own reworking of the material.

The ode is an expression of Classical-Romantic era liberalism. Which is to say that I'm torn between finding it naive and warming to its ideals.

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Joy, beautiful spark of divinity,
Daughter of the Blessed Isles—
intoxicated by fire, we enter
your sanctuary, Heavenly One.
Your magic binds together again
what the sword of custom divided:
Beggars become brothers to princes
under the shadow of your gentle wing.

Accept this embrace, you millions!
To the whole world goes this kiss!
Brothers and sisters—above the starry canopy
A loving Father must dwell.

Joy, joy drives the wheels
of the great clock that is the universe.
It draws forth flowers from the buds,
and suns from the firmament.
It rolls spheres through the depths of space,
far beyond the telescope’s reach.
From Truth’s fiery mirror,
Joy smiles upon the scientist.
Up the steep hill of Virtue,
it guide the steps of the persevering.

Endure with courage, you millions!
Endure in expectation of a better world!

Sorrow and Poverty, come forward
and join in the rejoicing.
Let bitterness and revenge be forgotten.
Let even our mortal enemy be forgiven.
No tears should burden him,
no remorse should pain him.
Let the ledger of our debts be destroyed!
Let the whole world be reconciled!

Draw closer in the sacred circle.
Swear, by this golden wine,
to be true to this oath—
swear it by the Judge beyond the stars:
Deliverance from the chains of tyrants,
liberality even for the evil-doer,
hope even on one's deathbed,
grace at the final judgment bar!
All sinners will be forgiven,
and hell will be no more.