Title: "An die Musik"

Composer: Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Words: Franz von Schober (1798-1882)
History
"An die Musik", which means, "To Music", is one of Schubert's most
familiar and best-loved songs. It is a love song in which the beloved is
Music herself.
Schubert based his song on a poem by his close friend, Franz von
Schober, a young man of Schubert's age who was, unlike Schubert, from
a well-to-do family. (Schober was born in Sweden). In 1815, when
Schober met him, Schubert was trapped in the drudgery of teaching in his
father's school for children (in Vienna). Schober and Schubert quickly
became friends, and Schober fell in love with Schubert's music. Seeing
that Schubert was forced to spend too much time away from music,
Schober invited Schubert to come live with him in his mother's
house. Schober offered to support Schubert so that he could become a
full-time composer. Schubert's father and Schober's mother granted
consent to this arrangement.
Schubert and Schober enjoyed a lasting friendship. For protacted periods,
the two young men lived together, often sleeping in the same room. "An
die Musik" was composed in 1818, but not published until 1827, the year
before Schubert's death.
Neither in his own time nor since has Schober received recognition as a
writer of unusual talent. His poetry was not published, and he is
remembered today only as the author of "An die Musik", and of several
other poems set to music by Schubert. Interestingly, the only Schubert
song for which Schubert himself wrote the words is "Abschied von einem
Freunde" ("Farewell to a friend"), written in 1817 on the occasion of
Schober's departure from Vienna (Newbould, p. 67).

Text
An die Musik
By Franz von Schober

To Music
By Franz von Schober
Translated by Tom Potter

Du holde Kunst, in wieviel

grauen Stunden
Wo mich des Lebens wilder
Kreis umstrickt,
Hast du mein Herz zu
warmer Lieb entznden,
Hast mich in eine bess're
Welt entrckt,
In eine bess're Welt entrckt

You dear, sweet Art, in many dismal

hours
Where Ive been bound by lifes
unruly course,
Then in my heart, a warmer love you
have ignited
Youve carried me to a better, better
world,
Yes, to a better, better world!

Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner

Harf' entflossen,
Ein ssser heiliger Akkord
von dir
Den Himmel bess'rer Zeiten
mir erschlossen,
Du holde Kunst,ich danke dir
dafr,
Du holde Kunst, ich danke
dir!

Oft comes a sigh, a holy chord from

your harp strings
That sparks in me a vision, one I
clearly see,
A glimpse of heaven, and the sight of
better times before me,
I thank you for these things, you
dear sweet Art,
For these things, my thanks to you.