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Auf Dach und Simsen überall Der stetig leise Tropfenfall Und weit hinein ins dunkle Land Sanft wie ein Schleier ausgespannt, Der sich im Winde senkt und hebt Und leblos ist und dennoch lebt. Der Acker, der die Wolke zieht, Der Himmel, der zur Erde strebt, Das wogt und rinnt und klagt und bebt In diesem stetig leisen Lied, So wie ein tiefer Geigenklang Geheimer Sehnsucht dunklen Drang In Töne hüllt und weiterträgt Und da und dort ein Herz bewegt, Das nach demselben Heimwehland Sich sehnend, keine Worte fand. Und was nicht Wort, nicht Geige sagt, Wird Ton und schwillt zu stiller Macht Im stetig leisen Wiegetakt Der windbewegten Regennacht; Die nimmt, was klaglos rang und litt, In ihre dunklen Lieder mit.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, pages 146-147.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Regennacht", written 1903, appears in Unterwegs, first published 1911 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Hans-Hermann Kurig (1914 - 2002), "Regennacht", 1950 [ voice and piano ], from Zwei Lieder aus den "Nachtgesängen" von Hermann Hesse, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Regennacht", op. 36 no. 4 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sieben Nacht- und Todeslieder für mittlere Singstimme und Klavier nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , "雨夜", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Rainy night", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Nuit de pluie", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-05-20
Line count: 22
Word count: 121
Everywhere upon roofs and ledges The steady, quiet falling of drops And far into the dark land Spread out as gently as a veil That sinks and lifts in the wind And is lifeless and yet lives. The field that draws the cloud, The heavens that strive toward earth, [All of] that surges and flows and laments and trembles Within this steady, quiet song, As a deep sound of violins Clothes the dark urging of secret yearning In tones and carries it onward And here and there moves a heart, Which, yearning for the same land of homesickness, Could find no words [for its yearning]. And that which neither word nor violin says, Becomes tone and swells to silent power In the steady, quiet cradle-rhythm Of the windblown rainy night; [The night] takes that which uncomplainingly wrestled and struggled Along into its dark songs.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Regennacht", written 1903, appears in Unterwegs, first published 1911
This text was added to the website: 2018-02-15
Line count: 22
Word count: 144