The poem was inspired by a Danish folk tale, which was translated to German as ''Erlkönigs Tochter'' (''Daughter of the Arlen King''). However ''Erlkönig'' is a mistranslation of the Danish "ellerkonge", which actually means "King of the elves" (that would be "Elfenkönig" in German, in case you wondered). It is possible that Goethe went with the "wrong" translation consciously, as the Erl-King does not fit in with what most people of the era would have recognized as an Elf-King; in the ballad, he seems to serve as a substitute to the GrimReaper or Death. The "rational" interpretation is that the boy is hallucinating from fever.

''Erlkönig'' is one the most recognizable of Goethe's works for Germans, thanks to its time-honored status as an inevitable [[SchoolStudyMedia school study medium.]]

For a literal translation of the ballad, visit the [[Synopsis/TheErlKing synopsis page.]] A rhyming translation (as ''The Alder King'') can be found [[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Alder_King on Wikisource.]]

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The poem was inspired by a Danish folk tale, which was translated to German as "Erlkönigs Tochter" ("Daughter of the Arlen King"). However ''Erlkönig'' is a mistranslation of the Danish "ellerkonge", which actually means "King of the elves" (that would be "Elfenkönig" in German, in case you wondered). It is possible that Goethe went with the "wrong" translation consciously, as the Erl-King does not fit in with what most people of the era would have recognized as an Elf-King; in the ballad, he seems to serve as a substitute to the GrimReaper or Death. The "rational" interpretation is that the boy is hallucinating from fever.

"Erlkönig" is one the most recognizable of Goethe's works for Germans, thanks to its time-honored status as an inevitable [[SchoolStudyMedia school study medium.]]

For a literal translation of the ballad, visit the [[Synopsis/TheErlKing synopsis page.]] A rhyming translation (as "The Alder King") can be found [[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Alder_King on Wikisource.]]

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14th Feb '12 8:42:56 AM LordGro

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1st Jan '12 1:33:51 AM rockmanx

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21st Dec '11 12:56:17 PM LordGro

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Moved the translation to the Synopsis subpage.

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A literal translation of the poem:

->Who is riding, so late, through night and wind?
->It is the father with his child.
->He has the boy well in his arm
->He holds him safely, he keeps him warm.

->"My son, why do you hide your face so anxiously?"
->"Father, do you not see the Erl king?
->The Erl king with his crown and tail?"
->"My son, it's a wisp of fog."

->"You dear child, come, go with me!
->Very lovely games I'll play with you;
->Many colourful flowers are on the shore,
->My mother has many golden robes."

->"My father, my father, and don't you hear
->What Erl king quietly promises me?"
->"Be calm, stay calm, my child;
->The wind is rustling through withered leaves."

->"Do you want to come with me, pretty boy?
->My daughters shall wait on you finely;
->My daughters will lead the nightly dance,
->And rock and dance and sing you to sleep."

->"My father, my father, and don't you see there
->Erl king's daughters in the gloomy place?"
->"My son, my son, I see it clearly:
->There shimmer the old willows so grey."

->"I love you, your beautiful form entices me;
->And if you're not willing, then I'll use force."
->"My father, my father, he's grabbing me now!
->Erl king has done me some harm!"

->It horrifies the father; he swiftly rides on,
->He holds the moaning child in his arms,
->Reaches the yard with trouble and hardship;
->In his arms, the child was dead.

A rhyming translation (as ''The Alder King'') can be found [[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Alder_King on Wikisource.]]

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