"Erlkönig" (Schubert) - Thomas Quasthoff

Franz Schubert's "Erlkönig" is one of the most well known lieder in the world. In it, a boy and his father try to run away from the evil Erlkönig (english equivilant - boogeyman).

TRANSLATION:
Who rides there so late through the night dark and drear?
The father it is, with his infant so dear;
He holdeth the boy tightly clasp'd in his arm,
He holdeth him safely, he keepeth him warm.

"My son, wherefore seek'st thou thy face thus to hide?"
"Look, father, the Erl King is close by our side!
Dost see not the Erl King, with crown and with train?"
"My son, 'tis the mist rising over the plain."

"Oh, come, thou dear infant! oh come thou with me!
For many a game I will play there with thee;
On my beach, lovely flowers their blossoms unfold,
My mother shall grace thee with garments of gold."

"My father, my father, and dost thou not hear
The words that the Erl King now breathes in mine ear?"
"Be calm, dearest child, thy fancy deceives;
the wind is sighing through withering leaves."

"Wilt go, then, dear infant, wilt go with me there?
My daughters shall tend thee with sisterly care
My daughters by night on the dance floor you lead,
They'll cradle and rock thee, and sing thee to sleep."

"My father, my father, and dost thou not see,
How the Erl King is showing his daughters to me?"
"My darling, my darling, I see it aright,
'Tis the aged grey willows deceiving thy sight."

"I love thee, I'm charm'd by thy beauty, dear boy!
And if thou aren't willing, then force I'll employ."
"My father, my father, he seizes me fast,
For sorely the Erl King has hurt me at last."

The father now gallops, with terror half wild,
He holds in his arms the shuddering child;
He reaches his farmstead with toil and dread,—
The child in his arms lies motionless, dead.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Erlkönig
• Franz
• Schubert
• thomas
• quasthoff
• great
• art
• songs
• german
• lieder

[playingwithfirehurts]

i wish the erl king would show me his daughters

[Hyenafan]

We listened to this in class. Maybe you should put who's saying what in the description.

[Mecinimi]

@vanessaluvsya2010

The boy is ill and feverish. It is up to interpretation whether his soul was actually taken by the Elf King or if he simply died from his illness. Him seeing the Erlkönig could have been the result of hallucinations caused by the fever.

[vanessaluvsya2010]

and the father basically says its ok son its just the wind and he hears him again i think 2 times and the father just says to sleep that they will be there soon. BUT once they get to their town the boy is already dead. the erl king took his soul

[vanessaluvsya2010]

well in the beginning the fast beat is supposed to be a horse running and the guy singing is supposed to be all 3 characters. the erl king is the forest monster that takes souls, the father, and the son, the son is very ill and his father is racing back to his town to get help and the little boy hears the erl king calling him and he tells his father "did you hear him father"

[bodiloto]

@PoesSoul7 dal vivo questo Signore ha poca voce,e per dirla tutta la voce di Quasthoff non è bella per me.

Ecco perché.

[PoesSoul7]

@bodiloto Sarebbe interessante sapere perché.

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

@playingwithfirehurts lol

[bodiloto]

non mi piace affatto.

[Shadow3329]

My God Quastoff is a genius, my musical idol. I hope I can sound even half this good someday, this is what true singing is.

[3286headshot]

@SukiSuzette pocket fully of posies.....learned about what that meant. than heard my five year old brother singing it.