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Der Erlknig"Der Erlknig" ("The Erl King"; often called just "Erlknig") is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It depicts the death of a child assailed by a supernatural being. The poem has been used as the text for lieder (art songs for voice and piano) by many classical composers; a list appears here. Of these, the most famous is undoubtedly the one by Franz Schubert, his op. 1 D. 328; it was Schubert's most popular song during his lifetime. Schubert composed "Erlknig" in 1815 revised it three times before publishing his fourth version in 1821 as his Opus 1. It was first performed in concert on December 1, 1820, at a private gathering in Vienna and received its public premiere on March 7, 1821, at Vienna's Krntnertor Theatre. More recently, the poem has been reinvented by the German band Rammstein as the song "Dalai Lama". Goethe's poem begins with a young boy being brought to either the court, or back to his home by his father, perhaps a farmer or some sort of peasant. The meaning is somewhat ambiguous, as the word Hof has the double meaning of "court yard" or "farm house". The poem begins by giving the impression that the child is simply dying from a strange disease, and is seeing death as a figment of his imagination. As it proceeds, the poem takes an ever darker twist, and it ends with the death of the child. Text | English Translation | style="padding-right: 0.5em;" | Wer reitet so spt durch Nacht und Wind?
Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind;
Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm,
Er fat ihn sicher, er hlt ihn warm.
"Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht?"
"Siehst, Vater, du den Erlknig nicht?
Den Erlenknig mit Kron und Schweif?"
"Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif."'
"Du liebes Kind, komm, geh mit mir!
Gar schne Spiele spiel' ich mit dir;
Manch' bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand,
Meine Mutter hat manch glden Gewand."
"Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hrest du nicht,
Was Erlenknig mir leise verspricht?"
"Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind;
In drren Blttern suselt der Wind."
"Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn?
Meine Tchter sollen dich warten schn;
Meine Tchter fhren den nchtlichen Reihn,
Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein."
"Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du nicht dort
Erlknigs Tchter am dstern Ort?"
"Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh es genau:
Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau."
"Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schne Gestalt;
Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt."
"Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt fat er mich an!
Erlknig hat mir ein Leids getan!"
Dem Vater grauset's, er reitet geschwind,
Er hlt in Armen das chzende Kind,
Erreicht den Hof mit Mhe und Not;
In seinen Armen das Kind war tot. | style="padding-left: 0.5em;" | Who rides so late, through night and wind?
It is the father, with his child;
He has the young lad clasped in his arms,
He holds him securely, he holds him warm
"My son, why do you hide your face?"
"Father, don't you see the Erl King?
The Erl King, with his crown and cape tail?"
"My son, it's just a strip of fog."
"You lovely child, come with me!
So many lovely games I will play with you.
Many colorful flowers are by the shore,
My mother has many golden robes."
"My father, my father, can't you hear,
The promises the Erl King is whispering to me?"
"Be quiet, stay quiet, my child;
It's just the dry leaves rustling in the wind."
"Fine lad, will you come with me?
My daughters will tend to you;
My daughters will put you to bed every night,
And cuddle and sing and dance you to sleep."
"My father, My father, can't you see over there?
The Erl King's daughters at that dreary place?"
"My son, my son, I see it clearly,
It's just the old weeping willows so grey."
"I love you, your beautiful figure excites me;
And if you're not willing, then I will use force."
"My father, my father, he's grabbing me!
The Erl King has done something terrible to me!"
The father shudders, he rides swiftly,
He holds in his arms the moaning child.
He arrives at the farm with pain and distress.
In his arms, the child was dead. | Notes The legend of the Erlknig appears to have originated in fairly recent times in Denmark and Goethe based his poem on "Erlknigs Tochter", a Danish work translated into German by Johann Gottfried Herder. The Erlknig's nature has been the subject of some debate. The word is often translated into English as "Elf-King", but the name "Elf-King" is rendered in German as Elfenknig, not Erlknig ("Alder King"). It has often been suggested that Erlknig is a mistranslation from the original Danish ellerkonge or elverkonge. According to German and Danish folklore, the Erlknig appears as an omen of death, much like the banshee in Irish mythology. Unlike the banshee, however, the Erlknig will appear only to the person about to die. His form and expression also tell the person what sort of death they will have: a pained expression means a painful death, a peaceful expression means a peaceful death. External links
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