I do not rest at night

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by (Karl) Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter (1816 - 1873)

Translation © by Jeffrey Williams

Ich ruh nicht in den Nächten

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Ich ruh nicht in den Nächten,
Ich ruh nicht an den Tagen;
Es treibt mich ohne Rasten,
Durch Berg und Thal zu jagen.

Da seh ich schwarze Wolken
Am schwarzen Himmel fliegen,
Da seh ich die dunkeln Lande
Gespenstisch düster liegen.

Da hör ich der Vögel Lieder 
Schmerzlich [und schreiend]¹ schallen,
Da seh ich Trauerblumen
Von [blühenden]² Bäumen fallen.

Und düstre Schattengestalten
Verfolgen mich durch die Räume,
Wahnsinnig machen den Kopf mir 
[Verworrene]³ wüste Träume.

O könnt' ich noch einmal sehen 
Die tiefen frommen Augen,
Und Frieden, Seligkeit, Segen 
Aus ihrem Himmel saugen!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• H. Marschner

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Junge Lieder von Wolfgang Müller, Düsseldorf, Verlag von J. H. C. Schreiner, 1841, pages 81-82. Numbered XLVIII.

¹ Marschner: "klagend"
² Marschner: "blüh'nden"
³ Marschner: "verworr'ne"

Text Authorship:

by (Karl) Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter (1816 - 1873), no title, appears in Junge Lieder [1841], first published 1841 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Verloren", op. 123a no. 1, published 1843 [ low voice and piano ], from Drei Gedichte von Wolfgang Müller für tiefe Stimme, no. 1, Berlin, Schlesinger; note: this opus was used later the same year by another publisher so we have added the letter 'a' to distinguish it [sung text not yet checked]

Another version of this text exists in the database.

Go to the text. [ view differences ]

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

ENG English (Jeffrey Williams) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Jeffrey Williams [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2015-04-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 96

I do not rest at night

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I do not rest at night,
I do not rest during the day;
It drives me restlessly to hunt,
Through mountains and through valleys.

There I see black clouds
Flying in the black sky,
There I see the dark lands
Lie in spooky darkness.

There I hear songs of the birds
Sound forth in painful laments,
That's where I see mourning flowers
Fall from blossoming trees.

And gloomy shadow figures
Follow me through the rooms,
Making my head insane
Causing turbid and desolate dreams.

O if I could only see one again
The deep pious eyes,
And peace, bliss, and blessings
From out of the heavens draw!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Rastlos" = "Restless"
"Verloren" = "Lost"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 by Jeffrey Williams, (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 (Karl) Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter (1816 - 1873), no title, appears in Junge Lieder [1841], first published 1841
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2021-02-15
Line count: 20
Word count: 107