Text
The following is the complete text of the original five verses of the "Die Wacht am Rhein", plus additions:
German lyrics | Approximate translation | Verse translation |
---|---|---|
1st stanza | ||
Es braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall, |
A call roars like thunderbolt, |
The cry resounds like thunder's peal, |
Refrain | ||
|
Dear fatherland, put your mind at rest, |
Dear fatherland, no fear be thine, |
2nd stanza | ||
Durch Hunderttausend zuckt es schnell, |
Through hundreds of thousands it quickly twitches, |
They stand, a hundred thousand strong, |
3rd stanza | ||
Er blickt hinauf in Himmelsau'n, |
He looks up to the meadows of heaven, |
He casts his eyes to heaven's blue, |
4th stanza | ||
Solang ein Tropfen Blut noch glüht, |
As long as a drop of blood still glows, |
While still remains one breath of life, |
Additional stanza inserted between 4th and 5th (Also sometimes inserted between the 3rd and 4th stanza) | ||
Und ob mein Herz im Tode bricht, |
And even if my heart breaks in death, |
Should my heart not survive this stand, |
5th stanza | ||
Der Schwur erschallt, die Woge rinnt |
The oath rings out, the billow runs |
The oath resounds, on rolls the wave, |
Additional 7th stanza on war postcards of the First World War | ||
So führe uns, du bist bewährt; |
So lead us, you are approved; |
So lead us with your tried command, |
Read more about this topic: Die Wacht Am Rhein
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