Twilight has already commenced

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by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Gute Nacht

(Sung text for setting by F. Abt)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: DUT ENG ENG FRE

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
Der Schall ins Ohr mir sacht,
       Schlafet in Ruh, schlafet in Ruh!
        ... 
       Die Liebe Gottes deckt euch zu
        ... .

 ... 

Und wie nun alle Kerzen
Verlöschen durch die Nacht,
Da schweigen auch die Schmerzen,
Die Sonn' und Tag gebracht;
Und säuseln die Cypressen,
Ein seliges Vergessen
Durchweht die Lüfte sacht.
        ... 

 ... 

Gut'  Nacht denn, all' ihr Müden,
Ihr Lieben nah' und fern!
Bald ruh' auch ich in Frieden
Bis glänzt der Morgenstern.
Die Nachtigall alleine
Singt noch im Mondenscheine
Und lobet Gott den Herrn.
        ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,4,6 of the original text.

Composition:

Franz Wilhelm Abt

3 Gesänge für 4 Männerstimmen (Chor und Solo)

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
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2026, (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 F. Abt)

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 the sound
Comes delicately to my ears,
       Sleep in peace, sleep in peace!
        ... 
       God's love is your coverlet
        ... 

 ... 

And as all candles now
Are extinguished through the night,
The hurts that sun and day have brought
Also fall silent;
And the cypresses sough,
A blessed forgetting
Wafts gently through the air.
        ... 

 ... 

Good night then, all ye weary ones,
Ye dear ones far and near!
Soon I, too, shall rest in peace
Until the morning star sparkles.
The nightingale alone
Still sings in the moonlight
And praises the Lord God.
        ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,4,6 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.

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