Joy, thou glorious spark of heaven, Daughter of Elysium, We approach fire-drunk, Heavenly One, your shrine. Your magic reunites What strict customs would divide; All people become brothers, Where your gentle wing alights. Be embraced, you millions! This kiss for the whole world! E'en round the ceiling stars Do our loving brothers dwell. Will you bow down, you millions? Will you sense and make the world? God dwells beyond the star-canopy! And beneath the stars as well. Whoever wins in the great attempt To be a friend of a friend, Whoever has won a loving partner, Let him add his jubilation! Yes, who can call even one soul His own on the earth's globe! Who never has, let him steal, Weeping, away from our tide. 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, As to the cherub before God. Glad, as the suns fly Through glorious space, Run, our brothers, your race, Joyful, as to victory. Be embraced, you millions! This kiss for the whole world! Below as beyond the star-canopy Do our loving Brothers dwell. Will you lay down, you millions? Or will you sense and make the world? Seek Him beyond the star-canopy! Beneath the stars He also dwells. -- Schiller tweaked by Beethoven, translation from wikipedia tweaked by Pete touching on the IllusionOfIndividuality. Dear Pete, could you put this lyrics explicitely under CreativeCommons licence CcBySa, because there is an initiative to make this a (part of the) WorldAnthem. It would be helpful, if you published this text on your personal WebPage or Blog , if it exists. Thank you. -- FridemarPache