The two paths of virtue
(Poet's title: Die zwei Tugendwege)
Set by Schubert:
D 71
trio for TTB[July 15, 1813]
Zwei sind der Wege, auf welchen der Mensch zur Tugend emporstrebt,
Schließt sich der eine dir zu, tut sich der andre dir auf.
Handelnd erringt der Glückliche sie, duldend der Leidende.
Wohl ihm, den sein Geschick liebend auf beiden geführt.
There are two ways in which humans strive for virtue.
If one of them is blocked to you, the other one will be accessible.
The lucky ones achieve it through action, but sufferers attain it through pain.
Blessed is he, who, loving his fate, is led both ways.
All translations into English that appear on this website, unless otherwise stated, are by Malcolm Wren. You are free to use them on condition that you acknowledge Malcolm Wren as the translator and schubertsong.uk as the source. Unless otherwise stated, the comments and essays that appear after the texts and translations are by Malcolm Wren and are © Copyright.
☙
Robert Frost considered ‘the road not taken’ when ‘two roads diverged in a yellow wood’. However, Schiller sees roads converging. It is also extremely unlikely that either will not be taken at some point by each of us, since we all experience joy and pain. Perhaps, though, we do not all manage to see both as routes towards virtue.
Original Spelling Die zwey Tugendwege Zwei sind der Wege, auf welchen der Mensch zur Tugend emporstrebt, Schließt sich der eine dir zu, thut sich der andre dir auf. Handelnd erringt der Glückliche sie, dudldend der Leidende. Wohl ihm, den sein Geschick liebend auf beiden geführt.
Confirmed by Peter Rastl with Gedichte von Friederich Schiller, Erster Theil, Leipzig, 1800, bey Siegfried Lebrecht Crusius, page 206.
To see an early edition of the text, go to page 164 [170 von 292] here: http://digital.onb.ac.at/OnbViewer/viewer.faces?doc=ABO_%2BZ207858202