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Schuh um Schuh im Finstern setz ich, Nacht umgibt mich sanft und groß, An betauter Mauer netz ich Hand und Stirn im feuchten Moos. Dunkel gegen Luft und Sterne Wiegt sich der Akazienbaum, Lichter blitzen in der Ferne, Doch die Nähe ahn ich kaum. Liebe zieht am Zauberfaden Alle Ferne mir ans Herz, Pol-Stern rufen und Plejaden Ihren Bruder himmelwärts. Aller Welt bin ich verbunden, Allem Leben aufgetan, Habe neu die Bahn gefunden, Die mich hält im Weltenplan.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 274.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Nächtlicher Weg", written 1920 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Franz Krause (b. 1889), "Nächtlicher Weg", op. 30 no. 5, published 1962 [ voice and piano ], from Sieben Gedichte von Hermann Hesse, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Leicht (b. 1899), "Nächtlicher Weg", 1952 [ voice unaccompanied ], from Sieben ein- und zweistimmige Lieder, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Scholz , "Nächtlicher Weg", 1960 [ four-part mixed chorus a cappella ], from Zwei Chöre, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Camí de nit", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Nighttime pathway", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-04-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 78
In darkness I place shoe after shoe, Night surrounds me - gentle and great, By a dew-wet stone wall I lave My hands and brow in the damp moss. Darkly against the wind and stars The acacia tree rocks itself, Lights twinkle in the distance, But I barely discern what is near. On a magical thread love draws All the distances to my heart, The North Star and the Pléiades Call their brother heavenward. I am connected to the whole world, I am open to all life, I have found the way anew, [The way] that holds me in the design of the world.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Nächtlicher Weg", written 1920
This text was added to the website: 2019-04-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 103