Es klingt so prächtig, wenn der Dichter
Der Sonne bald dem Kaiser sich vergleicht;
Doch er verbirgt die traurigen Gesichter,
Wenn er in düstern Nächten schleicht.

Von Wolken streifenhaft befangen,
Versank zu Nacht des Himmels reinstes Blau;
Vermagert [bleich]1 sind meine Wangen
Und meine Herzenstränen grau. 

Laß mich nicht so [der]2 Nacht, [dem Schmerze,]3
Du Alllerliebstes, du mein Mondgesicht! 
O du mein Phosphor, meine Kerze,
Du meine Sonne, du mein Licht!

H. Eisler sets stanzas 2, 3:1-2

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Eisler: "blaß"
² Eisler: "in"
³ Eisler: "den Schmerzen"

Text Authorship:

• by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Nachklang", written 1815, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 8. Buch Suleika -- Suleika Nameh [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 Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Goethe-Fragment", 1953, stanzas 2, 3:1-2 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Ernst Pepping (1901 - 1981), "Nachklang", 1946, published 1949 [ voice and piano ], from Haus- und Trostbuch, no. 31 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Nachklang", op. 19b no. 1 (1915) [ voice and piano ], from Lieder aus dem Westöstlichen Diwan von Goethe, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• ENG English [singable] (Florence T. Jameson) , "Remembrance"
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Écho", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 71