The night ascends calmly over the land

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by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Um Mitternacht

(Sung text for setting by A. Wallnöfer)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE FRE ITA

Bedächtig stieg die Nacht an's Land,
Lehnt träumend an der Berge Wand,
Ihr Auge sieht die goldne Wage nun 
Der Zeit in gleichen Schalen stille ruhn;
  Und kecker rauschen die Quellen hervor,
  Sie singen der Mutter, der Nacht, in's Ohr
    Vom Tage,
  Vom heute gewesenen Tage.

Das uralt alte Schlummerlied,
Sie achtet's nicht, sie ist es müd';
Ihr klingt des Himmels Bläue süßer noch,
Der flücht'gen Stunden gleichgeschwung'nes Joch.
  Doch immer behalten die Quellen das Wort,
  Es singen die Wasser im Schlafe noch fort
    Vom Tage, 
  Vom heute gewesenen Tage.

Composition:

Adolf Wallnöfer

Text Authorship:

by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Um Mitternacht"

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Wijtse Rodenburg) , no title, copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 92

At midnight

(Sung text translation for setting by A. Wallnöfer)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The night ascends calmly over the land,
leaning dreamily against the wall of the mountain,
its eyes now resting on the golden scales 
of time, in a similar poise of quiet peace;
and boldly murmur the springs,
singing to Mother Night, in her ear,
of the day 
that was today.

To the ancient lullaby
she pays no attention; she is weary.
To her, the blue heaven sounds sweeter,
the curved yoke of fleeing hours.
Yet the springs keep murmuring,
and the water keeps singing in slumber
of the day 
that was today.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Um Mitternacht"
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 92