In these and other testing times:
“Ode to Joy” (German: “An die Freude”is anode written in the summer of 1785 by German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller and published the following year in Thalia. A slightly revised version appeared in 1808, changing two lines of the first and omitting the last stanza.
“Ode to Joy” is best known for its use by Ludwig van Beethoven in the final (fourth) movement of his Ninth Symphony, completed in 1824. Beethoven’s text is not based entirely on Schiller’s poem, and introduces a few new sections. His tune (but not Schiller’s words) was adopted as the “Anthem of Europe” by the Council of Europe in 1972 and subsequently by the European Union.
English translation
O friends, no more these sounds!
Let us sing more cheerful songs,
more full of joy!
Joy, bright spark of divinity,
Daughter of Elysium,
Fire-inspired we tread
Thy sanctuary.
Thy magic power re-unites
All that custom has divided,
All men become brothers
Under the sway of thy gentle wings.
Whoever has created
An abiding friendship,
Or has won
A true and loving wife,
All who can call at least one soul theirs,
Join in our song of praise;
But any who cannot must creep tearfully
Away from our circle.
All creatures drink of joy
At nature’s breast.
Just and unjust
Alike taste of her gift;
She gave us kisses and the fruit of the vine,
A tried friend to the end.
Even the worm can feel contentment,
And the cherub stands before God!
Gladly, like the heavenly bodies
Which He set on their courses
Through the splendor of the firmament;
Thus, brothers, you should run your race,
As a hero going to conquest.
You millions, I embrace you.
This kiss is for all the world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
There must dwell a loving Father.
Do you fall in worship, you millions?
World, do you know your creator?
Seek him in the heavens;
Above the stars must He dwell.
Writing Despite Computers and Programmes 
Roger, thanks for sharing this. Keith
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On VE Day a timely reminder.
Written and set to music by men of German origin.
There are bad governments and foolish times only
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Good selection fior the day.
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A timeless song of unity that I appreciate for its relevance to today.
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It always makes me pause when I find out that the remade version of something becomes the classic and the original is rarely known. Change words, but keep the music. Change the music but keep the words? At some point, it becomes an entirely new thing, but before it does… why isn’t there more of a push (especially now during the era of the Internet when we can check anything’s origin) to pay homage to the original and not to forget it?
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True Sam.
We associate ‘Deutschland Uber Alles’ the German National anthem with the Nazis, Hoffman’s lyrics were written as an appeal for German Unity and not World Domination.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutschlandlied
Then we have Bruce Springsteen and ‘Born In The USA’`, an anthem for the blue collar men drafted into Vietnam and their aftermath, now being bawled out by MAGA fanatics with no idea of its meaning.
While in the UK we have ‘And did those feet in ancient time’ (aka ‘Jerusalem’) which was a hymn for universal equality, love and understanding, hijacked by the UK Conservative Party (pro-business, pro-wealth, survival of the richest)…How they would handle a ‘Second Coming’ of Christ I do not know….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_did_those_feet_in_ancient_time#Parry's_setting_of_%22Jerusalem%22
Just a few examples, I bet you can think of more.
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