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Des Abends kann ich nicht schlafen gehn, Zu meiner Herzliebsten muß ich gehn, Zu meiner Herzliebsten muß ich gehn, Und sollt' ich an der Tür bleiben stehn, Ganz heimelig! »Wer ist denn da? Wer klopfet an, Der mich so leis aufwecken kann?« Das ist der Herzallerliebste dein, Steh auf, mein Schatz, und laß mich ein, Ganz heimelig! Wenn alle Sterne Schreiber gut, Und alle Wolken Papier dazu, So sollten sie schreiben der Lieben mein, Sie brächten die Lieb' in den Brief nicht ein, Ganz heimelig! Ach, hätt' ich Federn wie ein Hahn Und könnt' ich schwimmen wie ein Schwan, So wollt' ich schwimmen wohl über den Rhein, Hin zu der Herzallerliebsten mein, Ganz heimelig!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , from Deutsche Volkslieder, Kretzschmer, Zuccalmaglio: Berlin, first published 1838-40 [author's text not yet checked 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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Gang zur Liebsten", op. 14 (Acht Lieder und Romanzen) no. 6 (1858), published 1861 [ voice and piano ], Winterthur, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Des Abends kann ich nicht schlafen geh'n", WoO. 33 no. 38, published [1894], from Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 38, Berlin, N. Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Gang zur Liebsten", WoO. posth. 38 no. 2 (1859-62) [ SSA chorus a cappella ], from 20 Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Des Abends", WoO. posth. 35 no. 6 (1863/4?) [ SATB chorus ], from Deutsche Volkslieder für gemischten Chor, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alfred Kohl (1843 - 1887), "Gang zur Liebsten", op. 5 (Sieben zweistimmigen Lieder mit Pianoforte ad lib. ) no. 3, published 1885 [ vocal duet with piano ad libitum ], Leipzig, Eulenburg [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "At evening, I cannot sleep", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Alfonso Sebastián) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 114
At evening, I cannot sleep, To my sweetheart must I go, To my sweetheart I must go, And I must stand at her door, Quite secretly! "Who's there, then? Who is knocking, Who can awaken me so gently?" It is your sweetheart, Get up, my treasure, and let me in, Quite secretly! If all the stars were good scribes, And all the clouds were made of paper, And they were to write to my love, They could not summarize my love in one letter, Quite secretly! Ah, had I feathers like a rooster, And could swim as does a swan, Then I would swimm across the Rhine To see my heart's beloved, Quite secretly!
Text 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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , from Deutsche Volkslieder, Kretzschmer, Zuccalmaglio: Berlin, first published 1838-40
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 114