Die Nacht ist keines Menschen Freund
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG FRE
Die Nacht ist keines Menschen Freund --
Was flüsterst du von Treue?
Der Mond [erblaßt]1, der Morgen graut . . .
Am Bette sitzt die Reue.
Die Reue ist ein häßlich Weib
Und möcht' mich wohl verderben --
Reiß mir das Herz nicht aus dem Leib,
Ich will ja noch nicht sterben.
Mein Blut ist heiß, dein Mund so süß . . .
O Gott, wie kannst du küssen!
Das hat die Sommernacht gethan,
Daß wir versinken müssen.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Gedichte, Neunte Auflage, Stuttgart und Berlin: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1900, page 168.
1 Szymanowski: "verblaßt"
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Polish (Polski), a translation by Stanisław Barącz (1864 - 1936) ; composed by Karol Maciej Szymanowski.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "C'est la nuit d'été qui l'a fait", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2004-01-20
Line count: 12
Word count: 76
Night is no man’s friend
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Night is no man’s friend --
What do you whisper of faithfulness?
The moon [grows pale]1, the morning dawns . . .
By my bed sits rue.
Rue is an ugly crone
And would quite like to destroy me --
Do not tear my heart out of my body,
I do not want to die yet.
My blood is hot, your mouth so sweet . . .
Oh God, how you can kiss!
That was wrought by the summer night,
That we must sink into the depths.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
Translations of title(s):
"Das hat die Sommernacht getan" = "That was wrought by the summer night"
"Das hat die Sommernacht gethan" = "That was wrought by the summer night"
1 Szymanowski: "fades"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2023-10-24
Line count: 12
Word count: 85