Ik kijk naar omlaag in het steegje

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by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863)

Translation © by Lau Kanen

Ich blicke hinab in die Gasse

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT CAT DUT ENG FRE

Ich blicke hinab in die Gasse,
Dort drüben hat sie gewohnt;
Das öde, verlassene Fenster,
Wie hell bescheint's der Mond.

Es gibt so viel zu beleuchten;
O holde Strahlen des Lichts,
Was [webt]¹ ihr denn gespenstisch
Um jene Stätte des Nichts!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• A. Berg

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Berg: "wollt"

Text Authorship:

by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863), "Spuk", appears in Gedichte, in 3. Vermischte Gedichte, in Ein frühes Liebesleben, no. 6 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Heinrich, Freiherr von Bach (1835 - 1915), as Heinrich Molbe, "Spuck", op. 4 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3, published 1879 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Rörich [sung text not yet checked]
by Alban Maria Johannes Berg (1885 - 1935), "Spuk", 1905 [ voice and piano ], from Jugendlieder, Vol. II (1904-08), no. 47 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "In der Gasse", op. 58 (Acht Lieder und Gesänge) no. 6 (1868?), published 1872 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]
by Walter Courvoisier (1875 - 1931), "Spuk", op. 16 (Fünf Gedichte von Friedrich Hebbel) no. 5 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Portuguese (Português), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Paulo Florence.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Manuel Capdevila i Font) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "In the lane", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Apparition", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 42

Ik kijk naar omlaag in het steegje

Language: Dutch (Nederlands) after the German (Deutsch)

Ik kijk naar omlaag in het steegje,
Zij woonde daar achter dat raam;
Het lege, doods ogende venster,
Hoe hel beschijnt ’t de maan!
 
Er valt zo veel te beschijnen;
O lieflijk licht dat zo flitst,
Wat weef je dan toch spooklicht
Rondom die plaats van het Niets!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title used by Brahms: "In het steegje"

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2014 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.
Lau Kanen. Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com

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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863), "Spuk", appears in Gedichte, in 3. Vermischte Gedichte, in Ein frühes Liebesleben, no. 6
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This text was added to the website: 2014-07-09
Line count: 8
Word count: 48