Das Lied der Deutschen

Melodie - Josef Haydn 1797 - Melodie - Melodie

1-3 Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben 1841

1. Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt,
Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
Brüderlich zusammenhält,
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt -
|: Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt. :|
2. Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
Sollen in der Welt behalten
Ihren alten schönen Klang,
Uns zu edler Tat begeistern
Unser ganzes Leben lang.
|: Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang. :|
3. Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
Für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach laßt uns alle streben
Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
Sind des Glückes Unterpfand.
|: Blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes,
Blühe, deutsches Vaterland. :|
(4. Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Und im Unglück nun erst recht.
Nur im Unglück kann die Liebe
Zeigen, ob sie stark und echt.
Und so soll es weiterklingen
Von Geschlechte zu Geschlecht:
|: Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Und im Unglück nun erst recht. :| )

3. Ius, concordia, libertas
Pro Germana patria,
Haec fraterne nos petamus
Dextra atque anima!
Ius, concordia, libertas
Sunt salutis pignora,
Flore in salutis luce
Tu, Germana patria!

1. Germany, Germany above all *
Above everything in the world *
When, always, for protection and defense
Brothers stand together.
From the Maas to the Memel
From the Etsch to the Belt,
Germany, Germany above all
Above all in the world.

2. German women, German fidelity,
German wine and German song,
Shall retain, throughout the world,
Their old respected fame,
To inspire us to noble deeds
For the length of our lives.
German women, German fidelity,
German wine and German song.

Während der Ruhrbesetzung durch die
Franzosen entstand die 4. Liedstrophe,
gedichtet von Albert Matthäi.

3. Unity and right and freedom
For the German Fatherland;
Let us all strive to this goal
Brotherly, with heart and hand.
Unity and rights and freedom
Are the pledge of fortune grand.
Prosper in this fortune's glory,
Prosper German fatherland.

*The sentiment of the first two lines is:
"Esteemed above everything in the world",
(as most citizens express of their homeland)
not "rulers of the world."
At the time it was written, it was a call to
unite the many independent states into
one unified Germany.
Verse 4. was a short-lived afterthought
by another author and is seldom seen.
Today only the third verse is the official
anthem but there are movements that
consider even the second verse offensive
and that wish to ban the entire song.

A rare personal comment:
Think about the words in the anthems of any other country. The anthems that I understand, which are few, as I don't speak many languages, speak of strife. The French want to fertilize farms with their enemies' blood, Britannia wants to rule the world's oceans, the US wants to fight from the shores of Tripoli to Mexico. More modest countries speak of defense.

This anthem says:
Forget petty regional squabbling, unite for the common good and do nothing that would shame the name of your person or your product and thereby your country. Work with pride to earn and keep the admiration of the world.

What kind of nutcase could find fault with those words and that sentiment?
I can't understand it but they're out there. I'm ashamed that anyone takes their criticism seriously.

Now that "We shall overcome" and "Kumbaya o Lord" has replaced some of the much older, German soldier songs in the ~~Wehrmacht~~, ooops, sorry, Bundeswehr song book, perhaps one of these two songs will be considered for a new, even kinder, gentler German national anthem.

BTW, did you know that German law forbids all songs containing the words: honour, hero and fame? Law says: [punishable is] any text suggesting a soldier might become a hero or attain honour and fame.

A simple link to ingeb.org has cost more than one innocent German, grief or several thousand dollars in fines. Believe it or not.

I read that human rights groups are seriously upset that China is jailing citizens for "peaceful political protest" on the internet. Heck, in Germany you don't even have to protest, just link to my happy song page and you can get 60 days plus court costs.

Frank 2002

Trivia:
more than 350 persons per day visit this song.
Here are a few responses to my personal comments.