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Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen, – Krankes Herz und müde Glieder; – Ach, da fließt, wie stiller Segen, Süßer Mond, dein Licht hernieder. Süßer Mond, mit deinen Strahlen Scheuchest du das nächt’ge Grauen; Es zerrinnen meine Qualen, Und die Augen überthauen.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Heinrich Heine, Buch der Lieder, Die Heimkehr, Hamburg, Hoffmann und Campe, 1827, page 256. Modern German would change the spelling of "überthauen" to "übertauen". First included in Rheinische Flora, no. 12
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, written 1823-1824, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 86, first published 1826 [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 William Arthur Aikin (1857 - 1939), "Nachtlied", published 1880, also set in English [sung text not yet checked]
- by Armand Angyal , "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 41 (Vier Gesänge) no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich Bauer , "Tröstung", published 1897 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Baumgartner (1820 - 1867), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 20 (Zehn Lieder), Heft 1 no. 2 (1857) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jürg Baur (b. 1918), "Mondenschein", first performed 2006 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Julius Becher (1803 - 1848), "Wandrers Nachtlied", op. 1 (Acht Gedichte) no. 3, published 1834 [ voice and piano ], Elberfeld, Betzhold [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard Behm (1862 - 1946), "Nachts", op. 10 (Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1896 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Raabe & Plothow [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Binder , "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Mondenschein", op. 85 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2 (1878), published 1882 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Caby (1905 - 1992), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen" [ voice, clarinet, oboe ], from In mein gar zu dunkles Leben (Au sein de ma sombre vie: cinq lieder de Henri Heine), no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Claussen (1843 - 1869), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 3 (Fünf Lieder von H. Heine, für Alt mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1874 [ alto and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Drechsler (1861 - 1935), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 16 (Drei Lieder) no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Christian Friedrich Ehrlich (1807 - 1887), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 12 (Sechs Lieder von Heinrich Heine) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 132 (6 Lieder für mittlere Stimme und Klavier) no. 3 (1947) [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gerald M. Ginsburg (b. 1933), "Süßer Mond", 2001, published c2003, from Aus Schmerzen zu Lieder, no. 13 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884 - 1920), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", A. 5 (c1905-9), published 1909 [ low voice and piano ], from Five German Poems, no. 3, also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
- by J. von Harder , "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 14, published 1874 [ baritone or alto and piano ], Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ludwig Hartmann (1836 - 1910), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 2 (Lieder) no. 4 [ low voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Édouard de Hartog (1829 - 1909), "Mondnacht", from Sieben Lieder, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lennart Hedwall (b. 1932), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen" [ mezzo-soprano and clarinet ], from Heine-Svit : Fem sånger, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Nacht", 1828, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Hermann (1869 - 1912), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 1 (Zwölf kleine Lieder für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 12, published 1893 [ medium voice and piano ], Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adolf Jensen (1837 - 1879), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", 1857 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Julius Hermann Krigar (1819 - 1880), "Nachtlied", op. 32 (Sechs Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte), Heft 1 no. 2, published 1873 [ voice and piano ], Berlin and Dresden: Adolph Fürstner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Kullak (1855 - 1914), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 15 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "An den Mond", op. 33, Heft 1 no. 2, from Sängerfahrt : sechzehn Lieder nach Gedichten von Heinrich Heine, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Max Mayer (1859 - 1931), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 14 (Fünfzehn Lieder) no. 11 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arnold Mendelssohn (1855 - 1933), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", from Lieder und Gesänge, no. 53 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Léonard Pieter Joseph Michielsen (1872 - 1944), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", published 19-?, from Drei Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John H. Powell (1882 - 1963), "Mondfriede", op. 18 (Two songs) no. 1, published 1924 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Väinö Raitio (1891 - 1945), "Nachtliedchen", 1912, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl (1823 - 1897), "Mondnacht", published 1877, from 35 neue Lieder für das Haus, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Otto Schmidt , "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 20 (Sechs Gesänge für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1884 [ medium voice and piano ], Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by H. R. Schröder , "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", from Fünf Lieder von H. Heine, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Korstiaan Stougie (1908 - 1988), "Nacht liegt", op. 1 (124 liederen : 1925-1969) no. 91 (1947) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josef Sucher (1843 - 1908), "Nachts", from Leid und Liebe : Liederzyklus, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich Triest (1808 - 1885), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", op. 1 (Lieder) no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803 - 1883), "Mondnacht", op. 44, from Die Heimkehr : 88 Gedichte aus H. Heine's Reisebildern, no. 86 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mikhail Yur'yevich Viel'gorsky (1788 - 1856), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", published 1852 [ duet for 2 sopranos with piano ], from Sechs Lieder von Heine, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bouke Visser , "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", published 1930 [ high voice and piano ], from Lieder auf Gedichte von Heinrich Heine, no. 3, also set in Frisian [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Weigl (1881 - 1949), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", 1904, published 1909?, from 5 Lieder v. Heinr. Heine, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Weisgall (1912 - 1997), "Süsser Mond", 1929, published 1933 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (James) Healey Willan (1880 - 1968), "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", published 1908 [ voice and piano ], from Three Songs, no. 2, also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by William Arthur Aikin.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in English, a translation by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker (1845 - 1904) , "Nacht liegt auf den fremden Wegen", appears in Poems Selected from Heinrich Heine, ed. by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker, London: Walter Scott, Limited, page 122, first published 1887 ; composed by Frank Bridge, Arnold Trowell, Healey Willan.
- Also set in English, a translation by Henry Grafton Chapman (1860 - 1913) ; composed by Charles Tomlinson Griffes.
- Also set in Frisian, a translation by B. Smilde ; composed by Bouke Visser.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other 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 © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Night lies on the unfamiliar roads", copyright ©
- ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (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: 8
Word count: 42
Night lies on the unfamiliar roads; a sick heart and tired limbs... ah, like a quiet blessing, there flows down, sweet moon, your light; Sweet moon, with your rays You drive away the night horror; Away runs my pain, And my eyes brim over with tears.
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) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, written 1823-1824, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 86, first published 1826
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 46