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Die Nacht war schwarz, die Luft war schwül, Ich fand nicht Schlaf auf meinem Pfühl, Mein Sinn ward trüb und trüber: Da schritten die Tage der alten Zeit Zu langem, langem Zug gereiht Wehklagend mir vorüber: "Du hattest den Lenz und du hast ihn entlaubt, Du hattest das Heil und du hast nicht geglaubt, Du hattest ein Herz zum Lieben, Du hast es vertändelt mit eitlem Schein; Nun bist du zuletzt allein, allein, Mit deinem Jammer geblieben." "Und wie du ringst in bangem Gebet, Es ist zu spät, es ist zu spät, Du darfst von Rast [nicht]1 wissen: Dein einsam Herz ist dein Gericht." -- Ich aber drückte mein Angesicht Lautweinend in die Kissen.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel, Vierzehnte Auflage, Berlin: Verlag von Alexander Duncker, 1849, page 144.
1 Lachner: "nichts"Text Authorship:
- by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Reue" [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 H. Fuchs , "Die Reue", op. 3 [ baritone or alto and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Emil Hess (1854 - 1944), "Reue", op. 8 (Fünf Lieder für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 5, published 1893 [ medium voice and piano ], Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Reue" [ voice and piano ], confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Reue", op. 84 (Sieben Lieder für eine Bass- oder Altstimme mit begleitung des Piano-Forte) no. 2, published 1847 [ bass or alto and piano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Charles Mikuli (1819 - 1897), "Die Reue", op. 30, published 1880 [ baritone and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Amalie Karoline Luise Scholl (1823 - 1879), "Reue", published 1864 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder von E. Geibel, no. 1, Dresden, Friedel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bertha Frensel Wegener-Koopman (1874 - 1953), "Reue", published 1909, from Vier Lieder, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix Paul Weingartner (1863 - 1942), "Reue", op. 18 no. 5 (1893), published 1896 [ voice and piano ], from Severa. Sechs ernste Lieder, no. 5, Berlin, Fürstner [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: John Versmoren , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 114
La nuit était noire, l'air était lourd, Je ne trouvais pas le sommeil sur mon oreiller, Mon esprit se troublait de plus en plus : Alors défilèrent les jours d'antan, En une longue, très longue procession, Se lamentant devant moi : « Tu avais le printemps et tu l'as dépouillé, Tu avais le salut et tu n'as pas cru, Tu avais un cœur à aimer, Tu l'as gaspillé en vaines apparences ; Maintenant tu es enfin seul, seul, Confiné avec ta détresse. » « Et tandis que tu luttes dans une prière angoissée, Il est trop tard, il est trop tard, Tu ne pourras pas connaître le repos : « Ton cœur solitaire est ta sanction » Mais alors, pleurant bruyamment, J'enfouis mon visage dans les oreillers.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Die Reue" = "Le remords"
"Reue" = "Remords"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2026 by Pierre Mathé, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Reue"
This text was added to the website: 2026-05-17
Line count: 18
Word count: 123