Good night!
To those who are weary, it comes
As the day quietly nods to an end.
Hard-working hands take their rest
Until newly waking at morning,
Good night!

Take your rest!
Close those drowsy eyes.
The city streets grow quiet,
And you can hear the watchman’s horn,
And Night beckons to all:
Take your rest!

Slumber sweetly!
Dream of your paradise.
Upon those, robbed of peace by love,
Let a dream be bestowed,
As beautiful as a loved one’s greeting,
Slumber sweetly!

Good night!
Slumber, until day reawakens
Slumber, until the new morning
Arrives with its own fresh troubles,
Without fear, as the Father keeps watch.
Good night!

I have lost my horse,
My apple-grey horse.
He was so faithful in life,
There shall never be another so faithful
In the entire army camp and its followers.

And when he was about to die
He yet looked at me 
As if his face were saying:
I can serve you no more,
Farewell, my horseman!

And when he had died
I buried him honourably;
Under the green meadows
In the shadow of a linden tree,
Which shall be his memorial!

There sit the little birds
And hold his requiem mass.
You do not even have to read
How faithful my horse was, 
For they are singing all about it.

  In the moonlight, in the forest night,
There the fairy sits at the well-spring;
She lets the splendour of her hair flutter in the wind,
And draws breath quietly and gently,
  And listens, and listens, and waits quietly,
  Whether anyone wishes to deliver her
From her lovelorn state.

  Oh huntsman, oh huntsman! take care, take care,
Approach quietly with your little dog!
Already she is letting her eyes sparkle mightily!
If once she smiles at you,
  No herb of the forest can heal you,
  Woe! here and beyond, your peace
Would be eternally destroyed!

  Oh huntsman, oh huntsman! blow your horn briskly,
So that she is abruptly startled and grows pale,
And conceals herself once more in the well-spring,
Otherwise you are lost, body and soul! --
  Thank God, thank God! she has flown!
  Thank God, thank God with a bright sound,
That she did not seize you!

  Having returned to my home town,
I finally see there in the valley
The old, dark linden trees!
'Twas there that she last kissed me,
Stood long still sending greetings after me!
Soon I shall now find her.

  And yet my heart is so heavy.
What a deep silence all about!
Only the linden trees are soughing;
And from out of the sweet scent of the blossoms
A little bird calls enticingly,
As if I must find her there.

  That was my darling's favourite sound,
The song of the dear nightingale
In a dark linden tree;
That was always her favourite tree,
There we dreamt such happy dreams,
There she was always to be found! --

  And as I came near to the place,
My gaze fell upon many a black cross,
Surrounded by the soughing of dark linden trees;
Among them a grave, still freshly adorned with flowers,
There the nightingale sang its song, --
There I found my love!

And the sun shines with such gold,
And the world is so green;
Over mountains, meadows, and leas
I would like to wander freely and happily.
And the flowers bloom so gloriously,
Thickly pearled with clear dew,
And the meadows and fields bloom,
And the sky is so blue!

And birdlets are so merry,
And their singing resounds so loudly;
Ah, how beautiful it is upon the earth
When one wanders freely and frankly!
Yes, the sun shines with such gold,
And the world is so green;
Over mountains and through valleys I would like
To wander briskly and freely and happily.

One day, when I lay my weary head
To its final rest,
And when my storm-tossed heart
One day no longer beats;
And when my earthly remains
Sink into earth’s womb:
O give me yet, as a final farewell,
A song in my grave!

I often encountered, in this earthly vale,
Stands of weeping willow trees,
And many a star, full of hope,
That faded away like dreams;
Song – that was my gleam of friendship
Through all of earth’s pain –
So, give me yet, as a final farewell,
A song in my grave!

Song was my greatest pleasure
On this earthly journey,
So, do not lower me quietly,
Not without singing and music!
I often sang passionately
A song in our ranks –
So, give me yet, as a final farewell,
A song in my grave!