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[Wann]1 über Berge sich der Nebel breitet, Und Luna mit Gewölken kämpft, So nimmt der Alte seine [Harf']2, und schreitet, Und singt waldeinwärts und gedämpft: "Du heil'ge Nacht! Bald ist's vollbracht. Bald schlaf ich ihn Den langen Schlummer, Der mich erlöst Von [jedem]3 Kummer." Die grünen Bäume rauschen dann, Schlaf süß du guter alter Mann; Die Gräser lispeln wankend fort, Wir decken seinen Ruheort; Und mancher [traute]4 Vogel ruft, O [laßt]5 ihn ruh'n in Rasengruft! - Der Alte horcht, der Alte schweigt - Der Tod hat sich zu ihm geneigt.
Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 12.
1 Schubert: "Wenn"2 Schubert: "Harfe"
3 Schubert: "allem"
4 Schubert: "liebe"
5 Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe): "laß"
Authorship:
- by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Nachtstück" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Nachtstück", op. 148 (Drei Gesänge für vierstimmigen Männerchor) no. 1, published 1857 [ ttbb chorus a cappella ], Braunschweig: C. Weinholtz [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Nachtstück", op. 36 (Zwei Lieder) no. 2, D 672 (1819), published 1825 [ voice, piano ], Cappi und Comp., VN 60, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Nocturn", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Nachtstuk", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Nocturne", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Nocturne", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Pupillo) (Claretta Manara) , "Notturno", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Juan Henríquez Concepción) , "Nocturno", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 90
When over the mountains mist is spread, and Luna battles against the clouds, then the old man takes his harp and strides toward the forest, singing in a subdued voice: "You holy night: soon it will be over, soon I shall sleep the long sleep that will free me from every torment." The green trees then murmur: "Sleep sweetly, you good, old man..." The grasses whisper as they wave: "We will cover his place of rest..." And many a lovely bird calls: "O let him rest in his grassy tomb!" The old man hears, the old man is silent; [for] Death has [now] leaned toward him.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Nachtstück"
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 106