Schiller: “Arouse ye, my comrades, to horse! to horse!”

Excerpt, “The Camp of Wallenstein,” by Friedrich Schiller. From Scene XI. Translated by James Churchill.

.SECOND CUIRASSIER (sings).

.

Arouse ye, my comrades, to horse! to horse!

To the field and to freedom we guide!

For there a man feels the pride of his force

And there is the heart of him tried.

No help to him there by another is shown,

He stands for himself and himself alone.

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[The soldiers from the background have come forward during the singing

of this verse and form the chorus.]

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CHORUS.

.

No help to him by another is shown,

He stands for himself and himself alone.

.

DRAGOON.

.

Now freedom hath fled from the world, we find

But lords and their bondsmen vile

And nothing holds sway in the breast of mankind

Save falsehood and cowardly guile.

Who looks in death’s face with a fearless brow,

The soldier, alone, is the freeman now.

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CHORUS.

.

Who looks in death’s face with a fearless brow,

The soldier, alone, is the freeman now.

.

FIRST YAGER.

.

With the troubles of life he ne’er bothers his pate,

And feels neither fear nor sorrow;

But boldly rides onward to meet with his fate—

He may meet it to-day, or to-morrow!

And, if to-morrow ’twill come, then, I say,

Drain we the cup of life’s joy to-day!

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CHORUS.

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And, if to-morrow ’twill come, then, I say,

Drain we the cup of life’s joy to-day!

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[The glasses are here refilled, and all drink.]

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SERGEANT.

.

‘Tis from heaven his jovial lot has birth;

Nor needs he to strive or toil.

The peasant may grope in the bowels of earth,

And for treasure may greedily moil

He digs and he delves through life for the pelf,

And digs till he grubs out a grave for himself.

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CHORUS.

.

He digs and he delves through life for the pelf,

And digs till he grubs out a grave for himself.

.

FIRST YAGER.

.

The rider and lightning steed—a pair

Of terrible guests, I ween!

From the bridal-hall, as the torches glare,

.

[Unbidden they join the Scene]

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Nor gold, nor wooing, his passion prove;

By storm he carries the prize of love!

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CHORUS.

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Nor gold, nor wooing, his passion prove;

By storm he carries the prize of love!

.

SECOND CUIRASSIER.

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Why mourns the wench with so sorrowful face?

Away, girl, the soldier must go!

No spot on the earth is his resting-place;

And your true love he never can know.

Still onward driven by fate’s rude wind,

He nowhere may leave his peace behind.

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CHORUS.

 

     Still onward driven by fate’s rude wind,

     He nowhere may leave his peace behind.

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FIRST YAGER.

.

[He takes the two next to him by the hand—the others do the same—and

form a large semi-circle.]

     Then rouse ye, my comrades—to horse! to horse!

     In battle the breast doth swell!

     Youth boils—the life-cup foams in its force—

     Up! ere time can dew dispel!

     And deep be the stake, as the prize is high—

   Who life would win, he must dare to die!

 .

CHORUS.

 .

     And deep be the stake, as the prize is high—

     Who life would win, he must dare to die!