Bright night | Softly the white moon

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by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Helle Nacht

(Sung text for setting by E. Zeisl)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch) after the French (Français)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

Weich küßt die Zweige
der weiße Mond.
Ein Flüstern wohnt
im Laub, als neige,
als schweige sich der Hain zur Ruh:
Geliebte du --

Der Weiher ruht, und
die Weide schimmert.
Ihr Schatten flimmert
in seiner Flut, und
der Wind weint in den Bäumen:
wir träumen -- vom Glück --

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2 of the original text.

Composition:

Erich Zeisl

Text Authorship:

by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Helle Nacht", appears in Weib und Welt [an adaptation]

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, appears in La bonne chanson, no. 6, first published 1870
- Go to the text page.

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Nit clara", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Joost van der Linden) , "Heldere nacht", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English [singable] (Friedrich Karl Grimm) , "Bright night"
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Bright night", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Nuit claire", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Jeroen Scholten , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-09
Line count: 18
Word count: 68

Bright night

(Sung text translation for setting by E. Zeisl)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Softly the white moon 
kisses the branches.
A whispering dwells
in the foliage, as if the grove
were inclining, were silencing itself to rest:
Beloved thou --

The pond rests, and
the willow shimmers.
Its shadow flickers 
in the pond’s waters, and
the wind weeps in the trees:
we dream -- dream --

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Helle Nacht", appears in Weib und Welt [an adaptation]
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, appears in La bonne chanson, no. 6, first published 1870
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2017-10-17
Line count: 18
Word count: 79