Leise Töne der Brust, geweckt vom Odem...

Leise Töne der Brust, geweckt vom Odem der Liebe,
  Hauchet zitternd hinaus, ob sich euch [öffn']1 ein Ohr,
Öffn' ein liebendes Herz, und wenn sich keines euch öffnet, 
  Trag' ein Nachtwind euch seufzend in meines zurück.

Liebe hab' ich gefunden und Liebe hab' ich verloren!
  Neue Liebe, mein Herz, blickest du suchend umher. 
Ach! ist einmal das Leben hinab in die Grüfte gestiegen,
  Seinen Schatten allein senden die Götter herauf.

Leise schlummertest du mir einst am Busen, so leise,
  Daß dich mit flüsterndem Hauch weckte der nahende Kuß.
Ach, so schlummert nun leise mir, Liebste, dein Bild im Busen
  Wie sich reget ein Hauch, schauet es wachend mich an.

Daß du wärest gestorben, so könnt' ich mit Augen der Sehnsucht 
  Droben suchen dein Bild, das ich hienieden verlor.
Doch nun lebst du der Welt und bist dem Herzen gestorben; 
  Wie ich dich sehe so nah', fühl' ich so ferne dich doch.

Ruh'n sie? rufet das Horn des Wächters drüben aus Westen, 
  Und aus Osten das Horn rufet entgegen: Sie ruh'n!
Hörst du, zagendes Herz, die flüsternden Stimmen der Engel? 
  Lösche die Lampe getrost, hülle in Frieden dich ein.

Translation(s): CAT CAT DUT ENG FRE

List of language codes

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Friedrich Rückert, Wanderung, Erster Theil, 5er Band of Gesammelte Poetische Werke, Frankfurt, Sauerländer, 1868, page 71.

Authorship

• by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Nachtwache", appears in Wanderung, in 1. Erster Bezirk. Italienische Gedichte, in Distichen, no. 8 [ author's text checked 1 time]

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), "Nachtwache I", op. 104 (Fünf Gesänge) no. 1 (1888?), published 1888, stanza 1 [saatbb chorus], Berlin, Simrock [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Leise Töne der Brust", op. 113 no. 10 (1859-63), stanza 1 [4 female voices], from 13 Kanons für Frauenstimmen, no. 10, Leipzig, Peters [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Nachtwache II", op. 104 (Fünf Gesänge) no. 2 (1888?), published 1888, stanza 5 [saatbb chorus], Berlin, Simrock [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Berthold Damcke (1812 - 1875), "Nachtwache", op. 19 no. 2, published 1844 [vocal quartet for male voices], Hannover, Nagel [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Gentle sounds of the soul", copyright © 2004
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Veille de nuit", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

Last modified: 2015-12-11 00:20:31

Line count: 20
Word count: 188

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project, and I have 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 gift is greatly appreciated.      - Emily Ezust

Gentle sounds of the soul

Gentle sounds of the soul, inspired by the breath of love,
blow tremblingly forth, if you open an ear,
open a loving heart; and if none opens to you,
let the night wind carry you sighing back to me.
















Are they resting? the horn of the watchman calls from the west,
and from the east the horn calls a reply: they rest.
Do you hear, apprehensive heart, the whispering voices of angels?
Extinguish the lamp confidently, and cover yourself in peace.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.

Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2004 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 -- http://www.lieder.net/

  For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
  
  
  (licenses at lieder dot net)
  
  
  

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), "Nachtwache", appears in Wanderung, in 1. Erster Bezirk. Italienische Gedichte, in Distichen, no. 8 CAT CAT DUT FRE
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Johannes Brahms, Berthold Damcke. Go to the text.

Text added to the website: 2004-04-28 00:00:00.

Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:02:05

Line count: 8
Word count: 81