Our night watchman is a strange man

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by Theobald Kerner (1817 - 1907)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Nachtwächter

(Sung text for setting by C. Evers)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Unser Nachtwächter ist ein seltsamer Mann,
Er schreit durch die Gassen so laut er nur kann:
   "Bewahre uns, Herr Jesu Christ,
   Der helle Tag erstanden ist!
   Wohl um die vier Uhr!"

Doch in der Vorstadt am letzten Haus,
Da geht ihm auf einmal die Stimme aus,
Er klopft an's Fenster und flüstert sacht:
   "Zwei Stunden noch bleibt's sinkende Nacht,
   Oeffne mir, Schatzerl!"

Composition:

Carl Evers

Text Authorship:

by Theobald Kerner (1817 - 1907), title 1: "Nachtwächterlaune", title 2: "Der Nachtwächter"

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-07
Line count: 10
Word count: 63

The night watchman

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Evers)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Our night watchman is a strange man,
He shouts through the streets as loudly as ever he can:
   “Protect us, Lord Jesus Christ,
   The bright day has risen!
   Truly around four o’clock!”

But in the suburbs by the last house,
Suddenly his voice dries up,
He knocks upon the window and whispers softly:
   “For two more hours the world shall remain sunken in night,
   Open up for me, sweetheart!”

Translated titles:
"Nachtwächterlaune" = "Moods of the night watchman"
"Der Nachtwächter" = "The night watchman"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Theobald Kerner (1817 - 1907), title 1: "Nachtwächterlaune", title 2: "Der Nachtwächter"
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This text was added to the website: 2014-06-23
Line count: 10
Word count: 70