In yesterday’s Peanuts strip, Linus mentions the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. In the final panel, Snoopy says “Nicht Diese Tone” (two dots over the “o”).
What does this mean? I assume “Happy Birthday.”
Not this Tone.
Freunde, nicht dieser Töne! Sondern lasst uns angenehmere anstimmen, und freudenvollere!
In this context töne means the tone of conversation. The sentence is a request to change the tone to a more pleasent and joyful one.
Salaam. A
In the context of the strip, it’s a phrase from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. The first words sung in the last movement are “O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!”, which means “Oh friend, not these sounds!”
Forgot to say, in case the OP doesn’t know:
Is is the first line of Friedrich Schiller’s poem called : Ode “And die Freude”
which was put on music by Ludwig von Beethoven as end of his 9the symphony (orchestra, 4 soloists and choir).
This final of the 9the symphony is now also the hymne of the European Union.
Salaam. A