be embraced, you millions.

no piece of art settles my soul, raises my eyes in quite the manner of the 4th movement of beethoven's 9th, the ode to joy. although the progression of it was burned on my brain at around the age of 9 or 10, as i lay on the shag with my head next to the stereo, not until recently did i learn the words; in the first vocal stanza, the powerful baritone calls out, freude!! freude -- and, i don't know, but i always associated it with a powerful man taking action. it's german, and all german sounds upset. so that was my picture--this big, hair-faced german dude, setting aside his dignity and throwing his glove to the ground: FREUDE! then the chorus is beckoned, right on his heels, and it's downright transcendent. but i always thought, you know, it's german, it's demanding and righteous. turns out that it is those things, but with a 1st corinthians 13 kind of aim that i just wouldn't have guessed. the italicized first words are beethoven's--the rest belong to the poet schiller.

Oh friends, not these tunes!

Rather let us sing more

cheerful and more joyful ones.

Joy! Joy!

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,

Daughter of Elysium,

Touched with fire, to the portal,

Of thy radiant shrine, we come.

Your sweet magic frees all others,

Held in Custom's rigid rings.

All men on earth become brothers,

In the haven of your wings.

Whoever succeeds in the great attempt

To be a friend of a friend,

Whoever has won a lovely woman,

Let him add his jubilation!

Yes, whoever calls even one soul

His own on the earth's globe!

And who never has, let him steal,

Weeping, away from this group.

All creatures drink joy

At the breasts of nature;

All the good, all the evil

Follow her roses' trail.

Kisses gave she us, and wine,

A friend, proven unto death;

Pleasure was to the worm granted,

And the cherub stands before God.

Glad, as his suns fly

Through the Heavens' glorious plan,

Run, brothers, your race,

Joyful, as a hero to victory.

Be embraced, you millions!

This kiss for the whole world!

Brothers, beyond the star-canopy

Must a loving Father dwell.

Do you bow down, you millions?

Do you sense the Creator, world?

Seek Him beyond the star-canopy!

Beyond the stars must He dwell.

Finale repeats the words:

Be embraced, ye millions!

This kiss for the whole world!

Brothers, beyond the star-canopy

Must a loving Father dwell.

Be embraced,

This kiss for the whole world!

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,

Daughter of Elysium,

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods

npr did a series on beethoven with the philadelphia orchestra--there's interviews with the conductor, Christoph Eschenbach, for each of the 9 symphonies; truthfully i didn't realize how good philly was until i listened to a few other recordings.