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by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857)
Translation © by Carl Johengen
Nachtlied
Language: German (Deutsch)
Vergangen ist der lichte Tag; Von ferne kommt der Glocken Schlag. So reist die Zeit die ganze Nacht, Nimmt manchen mit, der's nicht gedacht. Wo ist nun hin die bunte Lust, Des Freundes Trost und treue Brust, [Des Weibes]1 süßer Augenschein? Will keiner mit mir munter sein? Da's nun so stille auf der Welt, Ziehn Wolken einsam übers Feld, Und Feld und Baum besprechen sich, -- O Menschenkind, was schauert dich? Wie weit die falsche Welt auch sei, Bleibt mir doch Einer nur getreu, Der mit mir weint, der mit mir wacht, Wenn ich nur recht an ihn gedacht. Frisch auf denn, liebe Nachtigall, Du Wasserfall mit hellem Schall! Gott loben wollen wir vereint, Bis daß der lichte Morgen scheint!
F. Mendelssohn sets stanzas 1-2, 5
Confirmed with Joseph Freiherrn von Eichendorff, Gedichte, Berlin, Verlag von M. Simion, 1841, page 3.
1 Klein, Mendelssohn: "Der Liebsten"Text Authorship:
- by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), "Nachtlied", appears in Gedichte, in 6. Geistliche Gedichte [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 (Karl) Friedrich Curschmann (1805 - 1841), "Nachtlied", op. 23 (Fünf geistliche Lieder) no. 4 (1840), published 1840 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert Hermann Dietrich (1829 - 1908), "Nachtlied", op. 18 (Sechs Lieder für vierstimmigen Männerchor) no. 3, published 1875 [ four-part men's chorus ], Bremen, Cranz [sung text not yet checked]
- by Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich (1850 - 1900), "Nachtlied", H. 93 (1868) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Nachtlied", 1991, first performed 1992 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ], from Eichendorff-Lieder, no. 7, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Nachtlied", 1995, first performed 1997 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], from ...wie in Welschland lau und blau... : Acht Chorlieder für Männerchor a cappella, no. 8, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernhard (Joseph) Klein (1793 - 1832), "Nachtlied", op. 16 no. 3 [ alto and piano ], from Drei Nachtlieder von J. von Eichendorff, für eine Alt-Stimme mit Pianoforte, no. 3, Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag ; confirmed with Lieder-Perlen deutscher Tonkunst, 1870, Dresden: C.C. Meinhold & Söhne [sung text checked 1 time]
- by C. A. Joh. Masberg , "Nachtlied", op. 2 (Sechs vierstimmige Gesänge für S., A., T. und B.) no. 6, published 1879 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Nachtlied", op. 71 (Sechs Lieder) no. 6 (1847), stanzas 1-2,5 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wilhelm Petersen (1890 - 1957), "Nachtlied", op. 44 no. 9, published 1956 [sung text not yet checked]
- by August Wilhelm Julius Rietz (1812 - 1877), "Nachtlied", op. 6 (Dreizehn Gesänge), Heft 1 no. 2, published 1841 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich von Sahr (1821 - 1874), "Nachtlied", op. 15 (Sechs Lieder für vierstimmigen gemischten Chor) no. 4, published 1886 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Senff [sung text not yet checked]
- by Theodor Schmidt (1846 - 1908), "Nachtlied", op. 4 (Vier Gesänge für Alt-Stimme (oder Bariton) mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1882 [ alto or baritone and piano ], Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Nachtlied", op. 20 no. 13 (1914) [ voice and piano ], from Lieder nach Gedichten von Uhland und Eichendorff , no. 13 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Bernhard Ernst Scholz (1835 - 1916), "Nachtlied", op. 11 (Sechs zweistimmige Lieder mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1878 [ vocal duet with piano ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cançó de la nit", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DAN Danish (Dansk) (Maryanna Morthensen) , "Sang til Natten", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Carl Johengen) , "Night song", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Maryanna Morthensen) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Melanie Trumbull
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 119
Night song
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Gone is the light day, from far comes the bell's tolling; Thus passes the time the whole night, carrying so many along, without their knowing. Where now is the colorful joy, the friend's comfort and faithful bosom, the dearest one's sweet glances? Does no one want to be lively with me? Begin again, dear nightingale, you waterfall of bright sound! To praise we will God united, until the morning light appears.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Carl Johengen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), "Nachtlied", appears in Gedichte, in 6. Geistliche Gedichte
This text was added to the website: 2004-01-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 71