Born in the Himmelpfortgrund suburb of Vienna, Schubert showed uncommon gifts for music from an early age. His father gave him his first violin lessons and his elder brother gave him piano lessons, but Schubert soon exceeded their abilities. In 1808, at the age of eleven, he became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt school, where he became acquainted with the orchestral music of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven. He left the Stadtkonvikt at the end of 1813 and returned home to live with his father, where he began studying to become a schoolteacher. Despite this, he continued his studies in composition with Antonio Salieri and still composed prolifically. In 1821, Schubert was admitted to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde as a performing member, which helped establish his name among the Viennese citizenry. He gave a concert of his works to critical acclaim in March 1828, the only time he did so in his career. He died eight months later at the age of 31, the cause officially attributed to typhoid fever, but believed by some historians to be syphilis.
Appreciation of Schubert's music while he was alive was limited to a relatively small circle of admirers in Vienna, but interest in his work increased greatly in the decades following his death. Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and other 19th-century composers discovered and championed his works. Today, Schubert is ranked among the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music and his work continues to be admired and widely performed.
Ave Maria D. 839
Franz Schubert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Erhöre einer Jungfrau Flehen
Aus diesem Felsen starr und wild
Soll mein Gebet zu dir hinwehen
Wir schlafen sicher bis zum Morgen
Ob Menschen noch so grausam sind
O Jungfrau, sieh der Jungfrau Sorgen
O Mutter, hör ein bittend Kind! Ave Maria!
Ave Maria! Unbefleckt!
Wenn wir auf diesen Fels hinsinken
Zum Schlaf, und uns dein Schutz bedeckt
Wird weich der harte Fels uns dünken
Du lächelst, Rosendüfte wehen
In dieser dumpfen Felsenkluft
O Mutter, höre Kindes Flehen
O Jungfrau, eine Jungfrau ruft! Ave Maria!
Ave Maria! Reine Magd!
Der Erde und der Luft Dämonen
Von deines Auges Huld verjagt
Sie können hier nicht bei uns wohnen
Wir woll'n uns still dem Schicksal beugen
Da uns dein heil'ger Trost anweht
Der Jungfrau wolle hold dich neigen
Dem Kind, das für den Vater fleht ave Maria!
The lyrics to Franz Schubert's song "Ave Maria" are a prayer to the Virgin Mary, asking for her intercession and protection. The song begins by addressing the Virgin Mary as a gentle and mild young woman, pleading for her to hear the prayer of another young woman. The singer refers to themselves as being in a harsh and desolate place, where their prayer will be carried to Mary. They express their trust in Mary's protection, even if people in the world may be cruel. The singer calls on Mary as a mother to listen to the worries of her child who is pleading for her help.
In the second stanza, the singer continues to address Mary, emphasizing her purity. They mention sinking onto a rock to sleep, and they believe that with Mary's protection, the hard rock will feel soft and comfortable. They imagine Mary smiling and the scent of roses filling the air in the cave-like place they find themselves in. The singer calls on Mary as both a mother and a virgin, emphasizing her dual nature.
In the final stanza, the singer addresses Mary as a pure and holy servant, capable of warding off the demons of the world. They acknowledge their willingness to submit to the fate that awaits them, as long as they receive the holy comfort that Mary brings. They ask Mary to favor the child who pleads for their father, referring to themselves as the child and Mary as the mother.
Overall, the lyrics of "Ave Maria" express a deep sense of trust and reliance on the intercession and protection of the Virgin Mary, especially in times of difficulty and suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Ave Maria! Jungfrau mild
Hail Mary! Gentle virgin
Erhöre einer Jungfrau Flehen
Hear the prayer of a virgin
Aus diesem Felsen starr und wild
From this hard and wild rock
Soll mein Gebet zu dir hinwehen
Let my prayer waft to you
Wir schlafen sicher bis zum Morgen
We sleep safely until morning
Ob Menschen noch so grausam sind
Even if people are cruel
O Jungfrau, sieh der Jungfrau Sorgen
Oh virgin, see the virgin's concerns
O Mutter, hör ein bittend Kind!
Oh mother, listen to a pleading child!
Ave Maria!
Hail Mary!
Ave Maria! Unbefleckt!
Hail Mary! Immaculate!
Wenn wir auf diesen Fels hinsinken
When we sink onto this rock
Zum Schlaf, und uns dein Schutz bedeckt
To sleep, and your protection covers us
Wird weich der harte Fels uns dünken
The hard rock will seem soft to us
Du lächelst, Rosendüfte wehen
You smile, rose scents waft
In dieser dumpfen Felsenkluft
In this dull rock cave
O Mutter, höre Kindes Flehen
Oh mother, listen to a child's plea
O Jungfrau, eine Jungfrau ruft!
Oh virgin, a virgin calls!
Ave Maria!
Hail Mary!
Ave Maria! Reine Magd!
Hail Mary! Pure maiden!
Der Erde und der Luft Dämonen
The demons of the earth and the air
Von deines Auges Huld verjagt
Banished by your gaze of grace
Sie können hier nicht bei uns wohnen
They cannot dwell here with us
Wir woll'n uns still dem Schicksal beugen
We want to quietly submit to fate
Da uns dein heil'ger Trost anweht
Because your holy comfort breathes upon us
Der Jungfrau wolle hold dich neigen
May the virgin graciously incline to you
Dem Kind, das für den Vater fleht
To the child who pleads for the father
Ave Maria!
Hail Mary!
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NIGEL PAUL KENNEDY, JOHN LENEHAN, MALCOLM MESSITER, JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, CHARLES FRANCOIS GOUNOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chrisfusion6945
This is so much harder to sing than it seems. Easy in a sense, but insanely hard to do well.
@cathofficial5080
Wonderful to rehearse, helps my rhythm to get more precise. Thank you 😌
@sheetmusic2print
You're welcome! I'm glad if it helps!
@alicesings1971
I agree ! Thanks 🙏
@Kohay114
YES, the rhythms throw me off sometimes
@Mariana-gm9nz
Everytime i sing this I feel like I’m in the batman
@sevvens777
OOF IM SINGING THIS FOR SOLO AND ENSEMBLE (I am a high school junior)
@merkabatrasn8669
La rítmica del tiempo es mas lenta la original es un poco más tenta
@cecilia63092
Precioso, gracias!
@grisselorfin6045
Me encanta <3