Twilight has already commenced

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by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Gute Nacht

(Sung text for setting by N. Stollewerk)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: DUT ENG ENG

Schon fängt es an zu dämmern,
Der Mond als Hirt erwacht,
Und singt den Wolkenlämmern
Ein Lied zur guten Nacht;
Und wie er singt so leise,
Da dringt vom Sternenkreise
Ihr Schall ins Ohr mir sacht,
       Schlafet in Ruh, schlafet in Ruh!
       Vorüber der Tag und sein Schall,
       Die Liebe Gottes deckt euch zu
       Allüberall.

Nun suchen in den Zweigen
Ihr Nest die Vögelein,
Und Halm' und Blumen neigen
Das Haupt im Mondenschein,
Und selbst des Mühlrads Wellen
Lassen das wilde Schwellen
Und schlummern murmelnd ein.
       Schlafet in Ruh, schlafet in Ruh!
       Vorüber der Tag und sein Schall;
       Die Liebe Gottes deckt euch zu
       Allüberall.

 ...

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

Composition:

Nina (Anna) Stollewerk

Huldigung der Tonsetzer Wiens an Ihre Majestät die allerdurchlauchtigste Frau Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, Kaiserin von Österreich, Königin von Ungarn und Böhmen etc. Überreicht von der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde des österreichischen Kaiserstaates 1854

Text Authorship:

by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Gute Nacht", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 3. Drittes Buch, in Athen

See other settings of this text.

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

DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Corien Sleeswijk) , "Goede Nacht", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2005-07-14
Line count: 66
Word count: 320

Good night

(Sung text translation for setting by N. Stollewerk)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Twilight has already commenced,
The moon awakens as a shepherd
And to his cloud-lambs he sings
A song to wish them a good night;
And as he sings so softly,
From the circle of stars their sound
Comes delicately to my ears,
       Sleep in peace, sleep in peace!
       The day and its noises are past,
       God's love is your coverlet
       Everywhere, everywhere.

Now the birdlets in the branches
Are seeking their nest,
And the haulms and flowers are inclining
Their heads in the moonlight,
And the even the waves of the millwheel
Leave off their wild surging
And, murmuring, they fall into slumber.
       Sleep in peace, sleep in peace!
       The day and its noises are past,
       God's love is your coverlet
       Everywhere, everywhere.

 ...

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

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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 Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Gute Nacht", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 3. Drittes Buch, in Athen
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This text was added to the website: 2025-06-28
Line count: 66
Word count: 356