by Karl von Lemcke (1831 - 1913)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Ich stand in einer lauen Nacht
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Ich stand in einer lauen Nacht
An einer grünen Linde,
Der Mond schien hell, der Wind ging sacht,
Der Gießbach floß geschwinde.

Die Linde stand vor Liebchens Haus,
Die Thüre hört' ich knarren.
Mein Schatz ließ sacht ein Mannsbild 'raus:
„Laß morgen mich nicht harren;

Laß mich nicht harren, süßer Mann,
Wie hab' ich dich so gerne!
Ans Fenster klopfe leise an,
Mein Schatz ist in der Ferne!”

Laß ab vom Druck und Kuß, Feinslieb,
Du Schöner im Sammetkleide,
Nun spute dich, du feiner Dieb,
Ein Mann harrt auf der Haide.

Der Mond scheint hell, der Rasen grün
Ist gut zu unserm Begegnen,
Du trägst ein Schwert und nickst so kühn,
Dein' Liebschaft will ich segnen! --

Und als erschien der lichte Tag,
Was fand er auf der Haide?
Ein Toter in den Blumen lag
Zu einer Falschen Leide.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Lieder und Gedichte von Carl Lemcke, Hamburg, Hoffmann und Campe, 1861, pages 40-41. Note: modern German would change these spellings: "Verrath" -> "Verrat", "Thüre" -> "Türe", "Haide" -> "Heide"


Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Infidelitat", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Verraad", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Betrayal", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Trahison", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Tradimento", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 138

Betrayal
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
 I stood, one warm night,
 by a green linden-tree;
 the moon shone brightly, the wind blew gently,
 the torrent flowed swiftly.

 The linden-tree stood before my darling's house,
 and I heard the door creak.
 My sweetheart quietly let out a man's form:
 "Tomorrow don't keep me waiting;

 don't keep me waiting, sweet man,
 how I love you!
 Knock gently on the window,
 for my sweetheart is far away!"

 Cease your hugging and kissing, dear,
 and you, you handsome lad in velvet,
 you fine thief, make haste now, 
 for a man is waiting for you on the heath.

 The moon shines brightly, the green grass
 is just right for our encounter.
 You wear a sword and nod so audaciously;
 Come, let me bless your wooing! -

 And when the light of day appeared,
 what did it find on the heath?
 A dead man lay in the flowers 
 to the grief of a false woman.

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.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 153