Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Nachtigall, o Nachtigall! Sangeshelle Nachtigall! Sag', wohin, wohin dich schwingst, Wo die ganze Nacht du singst? Welche Arme mag, gleich mir, Trostbedürftig lauschen dir, Die zur Nacht das Aug' nicht schließt, Weil's von Tränen überfließt! Flieg, durchfliege Nachtigall, Rings die weiten Lande all -- Fliege über's blaue Meer, Lug' auf fremdem Strand umher, Sieh in Stadt und Lande zu, Nirgend, nirgend findest du Eine Maid in Dorf und Stadt, Die, wie ich, zu leiden hat. Auf der Brust mir armem Ding Eine Schnur von Perlen hing; Ach, ich trug auch, armes Ding, Auf dem Finger einen Ring, Und im Herzen treu und mild Trug ich meines Liebsten Bild! Doch im Herbst verloren ganz Meine Perlen ihren Glanz -- Und in Wintersnacht mein Ring An der Hand in Stücke ging. Jetzt im Frühling wein' ich sehr: Habe keinen Liebsten mehr!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Friedrich Bodenstedt, Alte und neue Gedichte, Erster Band, Berlin: Verlag der Königlichen Geheimen Ober-Hofbuchdruckerei (R.v. Decker), 1867, page 140.
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892), "Nachtigall, o Nachtigall", appears in Alte und neue Gedichte, in 6. Volksweisen als Intermezzo, no. 4 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Russian (Русский) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf (1840 - 1913), "Nachtigall, o Nachtigall", op. 10 (Sechs Gedichte für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1879 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kahnt [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gustav Jensen (1843 - 1895), "Die Nachtigall", op. 16 no. 2, published 1884 [ medium voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder nach slavischen Volkspoesien von Bodenstedt und Altmann für 1 mittlere Stimme mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Nightingale, oh nightingale!", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-03
Line count: 28
Word count: 137
Nightingale, oh nightingale! Nightingale bright with song! Tell me, whither, whither do you soar, Where you sing the entire night? What poor woman, just like me In need of comfort, might be listening to you, [A woman] who does not close her eyes all night Because they are overflowing with tears! Fly, nightingale, fly through All the broad countries round about -- Fly across the blue ocean, Look about upon the foreign shore, Look in city and country, Nowhere, nowhere will you find A maiden in a village or a city That is suffering as I am! Upon the breast of the poor thing that I am A string of pearls hung; Ah, I, poor thing, also wore A ring upon my finger, And in my heart, faithfully and gently, I carried the image of my beloved! But in autumn my pearls Completely lost their shine -- And on a winter's night my ring Broke into pieces upon my hand. Now in springtime I weep mightily: For I no longer have a beloved!
English song title (Jensen): The nightingale
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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 Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892), "Nachtigall, o Nachtigall", appears in Alte und neue Gedichte, in 6. Volksweisen als Intermezzo, no. 4
Based on:
- a text in Russian (Русский) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2013-10-25
Line count: 28
Word count: 171