Songs
Lodas Gespenst
(1816)
D150
Lodas Gespenst
Der bleiche, kalte Mond erhob sich in Osten. Der Schlaf stieg auf die Jünglinge nieder!Ihre blauen Helme schimmern zum Strahl. Das sterbende Feuer vergeht. Der Schlaf aber ruhte nicht auf dem König: er hob sich mitten in seinen Waffen, und stieg langsamden Hügel hinauf, die Flamme des Turmsvon Sarno zu sehn. Die Flamme war düsterund fern; der Mond verbarg in Osten sein rotes Gesicht; es stieg ein Windstoss vom Hügel herab, auf seinen Schwingen war Lodas Gespenst.Es kam zu seiner Heimat, umringt von seinen Schrecken, und schüttelt’ seinen düstern Speer. In seinem dunklen Gesicht glühn seine Augen wie Flammen; seine Stimme gleicht entferntem Donner. Fingal stiess seinen Speer in die Nacht und hob seine mächtige Stimme.Zieh dich zurück, du Nachtsohn, ruf deine Winde und fleuch! Warum erscheinst duvor mir mit deinen schattigten Waffen?Fürcht’ ich deine düstre Bildung, du Geistdes leidigen Loda? Schwach ist dein Schild, kraftlos das Luftbild und dein Schwert.Der Windstoss rollt sie zusammen; und duselber bist verloren; fleuch von meinen Augen, du Nachtsohn! ruf deine Winde und fleucht! Mit hohler Stimme versetzte der Geist:Willst du aus meiner Heimat mich treiben? Vor mir beugt sich das Volk. Ich drehdie Schlacht im Felde der Tapfern. Auf Völker werf’ ich den Blick, und sie verschwinden. Mein Odem verbreitet den Tod. Auf den Rücken der Winde schreit’ ich voran,vor meinem Gesichte brausen Orkane.Aber mein Sitz ist über den Wolken, angenehm die Gefilde meiner Ruh.Bewohn’ deine angenehmen Gefilde, sagte der König: denk’ nicht an Comhals Erzeugten. Steigen meine Schritte aus meinen Hügelnin deine friedliche Eb’ne hinauf? Begegnet ich dir mit einem Speer, auf deiner Wolke, du Geist desleidigen Loda? Warum runzelst du denn deine Stirn auf mich? Warum schüttelst du deinen luftigen Speer? Du runzelst deine Stirn vergebens, nie floh ich vor den Mächtigenim Krieg. Und sollen die Söhne des Windsden König von Morven erschrecken?Nein, nein; er kennt die Schwäche ihrer Waffen! Fleuch zu deinem Land, versetzte die Bildung, fass die Wunde, und fleuch! Ich halte die Winde in der Höhle meiner Hand; ich bestimmden Lauf des Sturms. Der König von Soraist mein Sohn; er neigt sich vor dem Steine meiner Kraft. Sein Heer umringt Carric-Thura, und er wird siegen! Fleuch zu deinem Land, Erzeugter von Comhal, oder spüre meine Wut, meine flammende Wut!Er hob seinen schattigten Speer in die Höhe,er neigte vorwärts seine schreckbare Länge. Fingal ging ihm entgegen und zuckte sein Schwert. Der blitzende Pfad des Stahls durchdrang den düstern Geist. Die Bildung zerfloss gestaltlos in Luft, wie eine Säule von Rauch, welche der Stab des Jünglings berührt, wie er aus der sterbenden Schmiede aufsteigt. Laut schrie Lodas Gespenst, als es, in sich selber gerollt, auf dem Winde sich hob.Inistore bebte beim Klang. Auf dem Abgrund hörten’s die Wellen. Sie standenvor Schrecken in der Mitte ihres Laufs!Die Freunde von Fingal sprangen plötzlich empor. Sie griffen ihre gewichtigen Speere.Sie missten den König: zornig fuhren sie auf; all ihre Waffen erschollen!Der Mond rückt’ in Osten voran. Fingal kehrt’ im Klang seiner Waffen zurück. Gross warder Jünglinge Freude, ihre Seelen ruhig,wie das Meer nach dem Sturm. Ullin hobden Freudengesang. Die Hügel Inistores frohlockten. Hoch stieg die Flamme der Eiche; Heldengeschichten wurden erzählt.
Loda's Ghost
The wan, cold moon rose in the east. Sleep descended on the youths.Their blue helmets glitter to the beam; the fading fire decays. But sleepdid not rest on the king: he rosein the midst of his arms, and slowly ascended the hill, to behold the flameof Sarno’s tower. The flame was dimand distant; the moon hid her red facein the east. A blast came from the mountain, on its wings was the spirit of Loda.He came to his place in his terrors,and shook his dusky spear.His eyes appear like flames in hisdark face; his voice is like distantthunder. Fingal advanced his spear in night and raised his voice on high.Son of night, retire: callthy winds, and fly! Why dost thou cometo my presence, with thy shadowy arms?Do I fear thy gloomy form, spiritof dismal Loda? Weak is thy shield of clouds: feeble is that meteor, thy sword!The blast rolls them together and thouthyself art lost. Fly from my presence, son of night! Call thy winds and fly! Dost thou force me from my place? replied the hollow voice.The people bend before me. I turnthe battle in the field of the brave. I lookon the nations, and they vanish:my nostrils pour the blast of death. I come abroad on the winds:the tempests are before my face.But my dwelling is calm, above the clouds;the fields of my rest are pleasant.Dwell in thy pleasant fields, saidthe king: let Comhal’s son be forgot.Do my steps ascend from my hills,into the peaceful plains? Do I meetthee, with a spear, on thy cloud, spiritof dismal Loda? Why then dost thoufrown on me? Why shake thineairy spear? Thou frownestin vain. I never fled from the mightyin war. And shall the sons of the windfrighten the king of Morven?No; he knows the weakness of their arms!Fly to thy land, replied the form:receive the wind, and fly! The blastsare in the hollow of my hand: the courseof the storm is mine. The king of Sorais my son, he bends at the stoneof my power. His battle is around Carric-Thura; and he will prevail! Fly to thy land,son of Comhal, or feelmy flaming wrath!He lifted high his shadowy spear!He bent forward his dreadful height.Fingal, advancing, drew hissword. The gleaming path of the steelwinds through the gloomy ghost. The formfell shapeless into air, like a column ofsmoke, which the staff of the boy disturbs,as it rises from the half-extinguished furnace. The spirit of Loda shrieked, as, rolledinto himself, he rose on the wind.Inistore shook at the sound. The wavesheard it on the deep. The wavesstopped in their course, with fear.The friends of Fingal started, atonce; and took their heavy spears.They missed the king: they rose in rage;all their arms resound!The moon came forth in the east. Fingal returned in the gleam of his arms. The joyof his youth was great, their souls settled,as a sea from the storm. Ullin raisedthe song of gladness. The hills of Inistore rejoiced. The flame of the oak arose;and the tales of heroes are told.
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Composer
Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He was uncommonly gifted from a young age, but appreciation of his music was limited during his lifetime. His work became more popular in the decades after his death, and was praised by 19th century composers, including Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Liszt.
Information from Wikipedia. Read more here.
See Full Entry
Poet
Edmund von Harold, born in Limerick, was an officer in the service of the Elector Palatine.
He is know particularly for his involvement with the Ossian cycle of epic poems by Scottish poet, James Macpherson, who claimed to have collected word-of-mouth material in Gaelic from ancient sources and that the work was his translation of that material.
In 1775 Harold produced his own translation of James Macpherson's Ossian into Germany prose, but incorporated some of his own 'discoveries'. In 1787 he published an independent volume of Ossianic poetry, simultaneously in both English and German, making capital of his 'insider's' knowledge of the Bard.
Schubert's settings of the songs are based on the 1775 translation, and include Cronnan (D282), Das Mädchen von Inistore (D281), Der Tod Oscars (D375), Die Nacht (D534), Lodas Gespenst (D150), Lorma (D327 and D376), Ossians Lied nach dem Fallen Nathos (D278) and Shilrik und Vinvelva (D293).
(Taken from Howard Gaskill, The Reception of Ossian in Europe, Bloomsbury, and from Wikipedia.)
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Source Text by:
James Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems. He was the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation.
Macpherson was born at Ruthven in the parish of Kingussie in Badenoch, Inverness-shire. In the 1752-3 session, he was sent to King's College, Aberdeen, moving two years later to Marischal College (the two institutions later became the University of Aberdeen); it is also believed that he attended classes at the University of Edinburgh as a divinity student in 1755–6. During his years as a student, he ostensibly wrote over 4,000 lines of verse, some of which was later published, notably The Highlander (1758), a six-canto epic poem, which he attempted to suppress sometime after its publication.
Taken from Wikipedia. To view the full article, please click here.
See Full Entry
Translation:
James Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems. He was the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation.
Macpherson was born at Ruthven in the parish of Kingussie in Badenoch, Inverness-shire. In the 1752-3 session, he was sent to King's College, Aberdeen, moving two years later to Marischal College (the two institutions later became the University of Aberdeen); it is also believed that he attended classes at the University of Edinburgh as a divinity student in 1755–6. During his years as a student, he ostensibly wrote over 4,000 lines of verse, some of which was later published, notably The Highlander (1758), a six-canto epic poem, which he attempted to suppress sometime after its publication.
Taken from Wikipedia. To view the full article, please click here.
See Full Entry
Sorry, no further description available.
Lodas Gespenst
Loda's Ghost
If you would like to use our texts and translations, please click here for more information.
Composer
Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He was uncommonly gifted from a young age, but appreciation of his music was limited during his lifetime. His work became more popular in the decades after his death, and was praised by 19th century composers, including Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Liszt.
Information from Wikipedia. Read more here.
See Full Entry
Poet
Edmund von Harold, born in Limerick, was an officer in the service of the Elector Palatine.
He is know particularly for his involvement with the Ossian cycle of epic poems by Scottish poet, James Macpherson, who claimed to have collected word-of-mouth material in Gaelic from ancient sources and that the work was his translation of that material.
In 1775 Harold produced his own translation of James Macpherson's Ossian into Germany prose, but incorporated some of his own 'discoveries'. In 1787 he published an independent volume of Ossianic poetry, simultaneously in both English and German, making capital of his 'insider's' knowledge of the Bard.
Schubert's settings of the songs are based on the 1775 translation, and include Cronnan (D282), Das Mädchen von Inistore (D281), Der Tod Oscars (D375), Die Nacht (D534), Lodas Gespenst (D150), Lorma (D327 and D376), Ossians Lied nach dem Fallen Nathos (D278) and Shilrik und Vinvelva (D293).
(Taken from Howard Gaskill, The Reception of Ossian in Europe, Bloomsbury, and from Wikipedia.)
See Full Entry
Source Text by:
James Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems. He was the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation.
Macpherson was born at Ruthven in the parish of Kingussie in Badenoch, Inverness-shire. In the 1752-3 session, he was sent to King's College, Aberdeen, moving two years later to Marischal College (the two institutions later became the University of Aberdeen); it is also believed that he attended classes at the University of Edinburgh as a divinity student in 1755–6. During his years as a student, he ostensibly wrote over 4,000 lines of verse, some of which was later published, notably The Highlander (1758), a six-canto epic poem, which he attempted to suppress sometime after its publication.
Taken from Wikipedia. To view the full article, please click here.
See Full Entry
Translation:
James Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems. He was the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation.
Macpherson was born at Ruthven in the parish of Kingussie in Badenoch, Inverness-shire. In the 1752-3 session, he was sent to King's College, Aberdeen, moving two years later to Marischal College (the two institutions later became the University of Aberdeen); it is also believed that he attended classes at the University of Edinburgh as a divinity student in 1755–6. During his years as a student, he ostensibly wrote over 4,000 lines of verse, some of which was later published, notably The Highlander (1758), a six-canto epic poem, which he attempted to suppress sometime after its publication.
Taken from Wikipedia. To view the full article, please click here.
See Full Entry
Sorry, no further description available.