""Erlkönig" is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It depicts the death of a child assailed by a supernatural being, the Erlkönig, translated as “Elf ...
[Read more]
King”, though the eponymous character is clearly some kind of demon or ´fairy king´. It was originally composed by Goethe as part of a 1782 Singspiel entitled Die Fischerin.
"Erlkönig" has been called Goethe´s "most famous ballad". The poem has been set to music by several composers, most notably by Franz Schubert." - (en.wikipedia.org 08.03.2020)