Questa notte, questa notte

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani

This ae nighte, this ae nighte

Language: English

Our translations: CAT FRE ITA NYN SPA

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
Every nighte and alle,
Fire and [fleete]¹ and candle-lighte,
And Christe receive thy saule.

When thou from hence away [art]² past,
Every nighte and alle,
To Whinnymuir thou com'st at last;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If ever thou gav'st hos'n and shoon,
Every nighte and alle,
Sit thee down and put them on;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If hos'n and shoon thou ne'er gav'st nane,
Every nighte and alle,
The winnies shall prick thee to the bare bane;
And Christe receive thy saule.

From Whinnymuir when thou may'st pass,
Every nighte and alle,
To Brig o' Dread thou com'st at last;
And Christe receive thy saule.

From Brig o' Dread when thou may'st pass,
Every nighte and alle,
To Purgatory fire thou com'st at last;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If ever thou gav'st meat or drink,
Every nighte and alle,
The fire shall never make thee shrink;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st nane,
Every nighte and alle,
The fire [will burn]³ thee to the bare bane;
And Christe receive thy saule.

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
Every nighte and alle,
Fire and [fleete]¹ and candle-lighte,
And Christe receive thy saule.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• A. Bax • A. Bax • I. Stravinsky • I. Stravinsky • I. Stravinsky • I. Stravinsky

I. Stravinsky sets stanzas 1-2 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
I. Stravinsky sets stanzas 3-4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
I. Stravinsky sets stanzas 5-6 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
I. Stravinsky sets stanzas 7-9 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Stravinsky: "sleete"
² Stravinsky: "are"
³ Bax: "sall prick"

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author ( 15^th century ) [author's text not yet checked 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 Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, Sir (1883 - 1953), "A Lye-Wake", subtitle: "Dirge", P. 105 (1908) [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, Sir (1883 - 1953), "A Lye-Wake", subtitle: "Dirge", P. 326 (1934) [ high voice and orchestra ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Dirge", op. 31 no. 4 (1943), published 1944, first performed 1943 [ tenor, horn, and strings or piano ], from Serenade for tenor, horn and strings, no. 4, London : Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]
by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "This ae nighte", op. 18 (Six Songs) no. 3, published 1905 [ voice and piano ], London : Sidney Riordan [sung text not yet checked]
by John Jeffreys (1927 - 2010), "A Lyke-Wake dirge" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971), "A Lyke-Wake Dirge: Versus I. Prelude", (1951-2), first performed 1952, stanzas 1-2 [ soprano, tenor, women's chorus, and instrumental ensemble ], from cantata Cantata, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971), "A Lyke-Wake Dirge: Versus II: 1st Interlude", 1951-2, first performed 1952, stanzas 3-4 [ soprano, tenor, women's chorus, and instrumental ensemble ], from cantata Cantata, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971), "A Lyke-Wake Dirge: Versus III: 2nd Interlude", 1951-2, first performed 1952, stanzas 5-6 [ soprano, tenor, women's chorus, and instrumental ensemble ], from cantata Cantata, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971), "A Lyke-Wake Dirge: Versus IV: Postlude", 1951-2, first performed 1952, stanzas 7-9 [ soprano, tenor, women's chorus, and instrumental ensemble ], from cantata Cantata, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Jean-Pierre Granger) , "Chant funèbre", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
NYN Norwegian (Nynorsk) (Are Frode Søholt) , "Sørgesong", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Pablo Sabat) , "Canto fúnebre"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 211

Questa notte, questa notte

Language: Italian (Italiano) after the English

Questa notte, questa notte,
- e ancora solo per stanotte -
Casa, focolare  e  lume di candela,
E che Cristo  l’anima tua riceva.

Quando da qui sarai partito
- ogni notte e più ancora -
arriverai infine nella Landa Spinosa,
E che Cristo l’anima tua accolga.

Se pantofole e scarpe avrai donato
- ogni notte e più ancora -
Siediti e mettile ai piedi,
E che Cristo l’anima tua riceva.

Se pantofole e scarpe non hai mai donato
- ogni notte e più ancora -
Ogni spina ti pungerà fino alle ossa,
E che Cristo l’anima tua accolga.

Se dalla Landa Spinosa riuscirai a fuggire
- ogni notte e più ancora -
Al Ponte dei Morti arriverai alla fine,
E che Cristo l’anima tua riceva.

Se il Ponte dei morti  riuscirai a oltrepassare
- ogni notte e  più ancora -
Al fuoco del Purgatorio arriverai alla fine,
E che Cristo l’anima tua riceva.

Se carne o vino avrai regalato
- ogni notte e più ancora -
Dal  fuoco che brucia non sarai toccato,
E che Cristo l’anima tua  riceva.

Se non hai mai regalato carne o vino
- ogni notte e più ancora  -
Il fuoco ti brucerà fin dentro le ossa,
E che Cristo l’ anima tua accolga.

Questa notte, questa notte,
- e ancora solo per stanotte -
Casa, focolare e lume di candela,
E che Cristo l’anima tua riceva.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Dirge" = "Canzone funebre"

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2025 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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 English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-07-17
Line count: 36
Word count: 214