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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Guten Abend, mein Schatz
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA SPA
Guten Abend, mein Schatz,
Guten Abend, mein Kind!
Ich komm aus Lieb' zu dir,
Ach, mach' mir auf die Tür,
Mach' mir auf die Tür!

Meine Tür ist verschlossen,
Ich laß dich nicht ein;
Mutter, die rät' mir klug,
Wärst du herein mit Fug,
Wär's mit mir vorbei!

So kalt ist die Nacht,
So eisig der Wind,
Daß mir das Herz erfriert,
Mein' Lieb' erlöschen wird;
Öffne mir, mein Kind!

Löschet dein' Lieb';
Lass' sie löschen nur!
Löschet sie immerzu,
Geh' heim zu Bett, zur Ruh',
Gute Nacht, mein Knab'!

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Deutsche Volkslieder mit ihren Original-Weisen, ed. by A. Wilh. v. Zuccalmaglio, Zweiter Theil, Berlin, Vereins-Buchhandlung, 1840, page 337.


Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Vergebliches Ständchen", subtitle: "Vom Niederrhein" [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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Vergebliches Ständchen", subtitle: "Niederrheinisches Volkslied", op. 84 (Fünf Romanzen und Lieder) no. 4 (1877-9), published 1886, first performed 1883 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Mathieu Neumann (1867 - 1928), "Fenstergang", op. 79 no. 3, published 1906-1913 [ men's chorus a cappella ], from Deutsche Volkslieder für Männerchor, no. 3, Leipzig, Kahnt Nachfolger [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 © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elena María Accinelli) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Ofer Sheinberg

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 90

Good evening, my treasure
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Good evening, my treasure,
good evening, sweet girl!
I come from love of you,
Ah, open the door,
open the door for me!

My door is locked,
and I won't let you in:
My mother has advised me well!
If you came in,
It would all be over for me!

The night is so cold,
and the wind so icy
that my heart will freeze,
and my love will be extinguished!
Open for me, sweet girl!

If your love starts dying,
then let it be extinguished!
If it keeps dying,
go home to bed, and rest!
Good night, my boy!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Vergebliches Ständchen" = "Futile Serenade"


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

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
    licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Vergebliches Ständchen", subtitle: "Vom Niederrhein"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 100

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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