Night song | So near, so far

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by Heinrich Stieglitz (1801 - 1849)

Translation © by John H. Campbell

Nachtgesang

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

   So nah, so ferne,
So tief, so hell,
Erschließt ihr Sterne
Des Lebens Quell.
 
   Das Auge schließt sich,
Die Seele wacht,
Und Andacht gießt sich
Durch's All der Nacht.
 
   Des Lichts Gewimmel
Glüht Lust-durchweht,
Und Erd' und Himmel
Flammt Ein Gebet.
 
   War es der Nachhall von dem Liede?
War es der Nacht geweihter Friede?
Im Blättersäuseln ertönt Gesang,
Maisuna's Name in Licht erklang.

Confirmed with Bilder des Orients von Heinrich Stieglitz, Erster Band, Leipzig, bei Carl Cnobloch, 1831, pages 78-79.

Text Authorship:

by Heinrich Stieglitz (1801 - 1849), "Nachtgesang" [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 Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Nachtgesang", op. 140 no. 13, published 1849 [ voice and piano ], from Bilder des Orients von H. Stieglitz [II], no. 13, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]
by Bertram Shapleigh (1871 - 1940), "Nachtgesang", op. 18 (Fünf Lieder für 1 hohe Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1901 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (John H. Campbell) , "Night song", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: John H. Campbell , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 64

Night song

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

So near, so far, 
so deep, so bright,
open up you stars, 
the very source of life.

His eyes close, 
his soul awakes,
and he sends a prayer 
out into the universe of night.

The swarming lights glow 
and swirl through the air,
and earth and heaven 
blaze in prayer.

Was it the resonance of the song?
Was it the night's sacred peace?
In the leaves a murmured chant sounds,
Maisuna's name in light was heard.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell, (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 Heinrich Stieglitz (1801 - 1849), "Nachtgesang"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 76