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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Sommernacht
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
O dunkelglühende Sommernacht!
Geigen locken im lauen Garten,
Leuchtkugeln blühen in weichen, zarten
Bogen empor. Meine Tänzerin lacht.

Heimlich schleich' ich davon. Die Zweige 
Blühender Träume dämmern blaß.
Ach, alle Lust geht so bald zur Neige,
Nur das Verlangen brennt ohne Unterlaß.

Wunderherrliche Sommernachtfeste
Meiner Jugend, wo seid ihr hin?
Alle Tänze, ob ich auch fröhlich bin,
Gleiten so kühl, es fehlt das Beste.

O dunkelglühende Sommernacht,
Laß mich doch einmal den träumeschweren
Becher der Lust bis zum Grunde leeren,
Der mich sättigt und endlich stille macht!

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., 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, pages 185-186.


Text Authorship:

  • by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Sommernacht", subtitle: "(April 1909)", written 1909, appears in Unterwegs, first published 1911 [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 Heinz-Otto Hoffmann (b. 1902), "Sommernacht", 1932-47 [ voice and piano ], from 21 Lieder, no. 21 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Summer night", subtitle: "(April 1909)", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Nuit d'été", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2013-03-04
Line count: 16
Word count: 87

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