Rätsel

"Rätsel"
"Rätsel"
Song
Language	German
English title	Riddle
Published	not later than 1806
Genre	Folk
Songwriter(s)	Traditional

"Rätsel" (Riddle) is a German riddle-song from the 1806 collection of folks songs Des Knaben Wunderhorn by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano.^[1]

The text is written in iambic tetrameter.^[2] According to German studies academic Klaus Manger [de], this folk poem might have inspired Brentano for some of his own poems.^[3]

The song was also published in later songbooks and anthologies (Mythologische Bibliothek,^[4] Carl Gustav Schwetschke [de]'s Die Natur etc.).^[5]

Words

Es ist die wunderschönste Brück',
Darüber noch kein Mensch gegangen,
Doch ist daran ein seltsam Stück,
Daß über ihr die Wasser hangen,
Und unter ihr die Leute gehn
Ganz trocken, und sie froh ansehn,
Die Schiffe segelnd durch sie ziehn,
Die Vögel sie durchfliegen kühn;
Doch stehet sie im Sturme fest,
Kein Zoll noch Weggeld zahlen läßt.^[1]

It is the most beautiful bridge
that no man has crossed yet,
but it is very strange
that water hangs above it.
And under her her the people go
completely dry, and they gladly watch
ship sailing through it
and birds fly through it boldly;
but it stands firm in the storm,
no toll nor tribute it demands.

Poetic translation
There's a faint and fairy bridge,
Which none climbs and none touches;
No wave nor thunder may that breach,
Though water droplets let that clutch.
Thereunder people go to and fro,
They ford, still being dry and glad;
The vessels row and sail across,
Do fly the birds above the rain.
That bridge withstands the gale and storm,
The pass is free of any toll.^[6]

Melody

$% based on [[C:File:Es Ist die wunderschönste Brück.mid]] \header { tagline = ##f } \layout { indent = 0 \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" } } global = { \key c \major \numericTimeSignature \time 3/4 \partial 4 } sopranoVoice = \relative c'' { \global \autoBeamOff g4 | e (f) g | e2 c4 | c' (b) a | g2 g4 | a2 a4 | g2 g4 | a2 a4 | a4 g g4 | e (f) g | e2 c4 | f2 e4 | d2 d4 | a'2 d,4 | d2 d4 | e2 d4 | d c g'4 | e (f) g | e2 c4 | c' (b) a | g2 g4 | a2 a4 | g2 g4 | a2 a4 | g2 g4 | e (f) g | e2 c4 | f2 e4 | d2 d4 | a'2 d,4 | d2 d4 | e2 d4 | c2 r4 | c d e | f2 g4 | a2 b4 | c2. | d4 c a | g2 c,4 | d2 d4 | c2. \bar "|." } verseSopranoVoice = \lyricmode { Es ist die wun -- der -- schön -- ste Brück', da -- rü -- ber noch kein Mensch ge -- gan -- gen, doch ist da -- ran ein selt -- sam Stück, daß ü -- ber ihr die Was -- ser han -- gen, und un -- ter ihr die Leu -- te gehn ganz trok -- ken, und sie froh an -- sehn, die Schif -- fe se -- gelnd durch sie ziehn, die Vö -- gel sie durch -- flie -- gen kühn; doch ste -- het sie im Stur -- me fest, kein Zoll noch Weg -- geld zah -- len läßt. } altoVoice = \relative c' { \global \autoBeamOff e4 | c d e | c2 g4 | a d2 | e e4 | f2 f4 | e2 e4 | d2 c4 | c b e4 | c d e | c2 c4 | cis2 g4 | fis2 a4 | c2 c4 | b2 b4 | g2 f4 | f e e''4 | c d e4 | c2 g4 | a d2 | e e4 | f2 f4 | e2 e4 | d2 c4 | b2 e4 | c d e | c2 c4 | cis2 g4 | fis2 a4 | c2 c4 | b2 b4 | g2 f4 | e2 r4 | c4 b bes | a2 g4 | f2 f4 | e2. | fis''2. | g2 e4 | a g f | e2. \bar "|." } classicalGuitar = \relative c { \global c4 | c2. | c, | f | c' | f, | c' | f, | g | c | c, | a' | d | fis, | g | b | c | c | c | f, | c' | f, | c' | f, | g | c | c, | a' | d | fis, | g | b | c | c | d | g, | a | a | b2 g4 | f2 g4 | c,2. \bar "|." } kords = \chordmode { \set midiInstrument = "acoustic guitar (nylon)" \global %\set chordChanges = ##t c,4\pp | c,2. | c,, | f, | c | f, | c | f, | g, | c, | c,, | a, | d, | fis,, | g, | b, | c, | c | c | f, | c | f | c, | f | g, | c | c, | a | d | fis, | g | b | c | c, | d, | g,, | a, | a | b2 g4 | f2 g4 | c,2. \bar "|." } sopranoVoicePart = \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "english horn" } { \sopranoVoice } \addlyrics { \verseSopranoVoice } altoVoicePart = \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "clarinet"} { \altoVoice } classicalGuitarPart = \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "cello" } % "acoustic guitar (nylon)"} { \clef bass \classicalGuitar } \score { << % \new ChordNames { \kords } \sopranoVoicePart % \altoVoicePart % \classicalGuitarPart >> \layout { } } \score { << \kords \\ \sopranoVoicePart \\ \altoVoicePart \\ \classicalGuitarPart >> \midi { \tempo 4=144 } }$

References

^ ^a ^b Achim von Arnim; Clemens Brentano, eds. (1806). "Räthsel". Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Vol. 1. Heidelberg and Frankfurt: Mohr und Zimmer. pp. 209–210.
^ Mamedova, A. I. (2023). "Deutsche Volksrätsel und ihre rhytmische Struktur" (PDF). Вчені записки Таврійського національного університету [Scientific notes of the Tavri National University] (in German). 34 (24): 96 (96–98). doi:10.32782/2710-4656/2023.2.1/17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
^ Klaus Manger [in German] (2013). "Clemens Brentano 1806 im Umkreis des Heidelberger Neuhumanismus". Heidelberger Jahrbücher (in German). 32. Berlin and Heidelberg: Springer: 96 (91–118). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-73884-5_6. ISBN 978-3-540-50014-8. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
^ J. C. Hinrichs, ed. (1911). Mythologische Bibliothek. Vol. 4. p. 3.
^ F. Kunze (25 July 1897). "Der Regenbogen im Völkerglauben". Die Natur (in German). Vol. 23, no. 30. Halle: G. Schwetschke. p. 350 (349–352). Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
^ Achim von Arnim; Clemens Brentano, eds. (2024) [1806]. "Rätsel – The Riddle" . Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Translated by Sergey Pavlov – via Wikisource.

External links

Media related to Rätsel (Es ist die wunderschönste Brück) at Wikimedia Commons

[DKW-1] Achim von Arnim; Clemens Brentano, eds. (1806). "Räthsel". Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Vol. 1. Heidelberg and Frankfurt: Mohr und Zimmer. pp. 209–210.

[2] Mamedova, A. I. (2023). "Deutsche Volksrätsel und ihre rhytmische Struktur" (PDF). Вчені записки Таврійського національного університету [Scientific notes of the Tavri National University] (in German). 34 (24): 96 (96–98). doi:10.32782/2710-4656/2023.2.1/17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

[3] Klaus Manger [in German] (2013). "Clemens Brentano 1806 im Umkreis des Heidelberger Neuhumanismus". Heidelberger Jahrbücher (in German). 32. Berlin and Heidelberg: Springer: 96 (91–118). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-73884-5_6. ISBN 978-3-540-50014-8. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

[4] J. C. Hinrichs, ed. (1911). Mythologische Bibliothek. Vol. 4. p. 3.

[5] F. Kunze (25 July 1897). "Der Regenbogen im Völkerglauben". Die Natur (in German). Vol. 23, no. 30. Halle: G. Schwetschke. p. 350 (349–352). Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.

[6] Achim von Arnim; Clemens Brentano, eds. (2024) [1806]. "Rätsel – The Riddle" . Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Translated by Sergey Pavlov – via Wikisource.

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