by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Salvador Pila

Nachtgesang
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE FRE ITA
[O]1 gieb, vom weichen Pfühle,
Träumend, ein halb Gehör!
Bei meinem Saitenspiele
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?

Bei meinem Saitenspiele
Segnet der Sterne Heer
Die ewigen Gefühle;
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?

Die ewigen Gefühle
Heben mich, hoch und hehr,
Aus irdischem Gewühle;
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?

Vom irdischen Gewühle
Trennst du mich nur zu sehr,
Bannst mich in diese Kühle;
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?

Bannst mich in diese Kühle,
Giebst nur im Traum Gehör.
Ach, auf dem weichen Pfühle
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?

W. Goethe sets stanzas 1-3

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Goethe's Werke, Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand, Erster Band, Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G.Cottaschen Buchhandlung, 1827, page 98, and with Taschenbuch auf das Jahr 1804, Herausgegeben von Wieland und Goethe, Tübingen, in der Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, pages 120-121.

1 Mayer: "Ach"; further changes may exist not shown above.

Authorship:

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

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Ivar Hallström.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cant nocturnal ", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Nachtgezang", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Night song", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant nocturne", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Chanson de la nuit", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Francesco Campanella) , "Canto notturno", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 87

Cant nocturnal  
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Oh, dóna’m, des del tou coixí,
somiant, un mig oir!
Amb la música del meu llaüt
dorm! què més vols?

Amb la música del meu llaüt
la munió d’estrelles beneeix
els sentiments eterns;
dorm! què més vols?

Els sentiments eterns
m’aixequen, amunt, sublimment,
de la multitud terrenal;
dorm! què més vols?

De la multitud terrenal 
tu prou em separes,
em fascines en la teva fredor;
dorm! què més vols?

Em fascines en aquesta fredor,
només escoltes en somni.
Ai! damunt el teu coixí
dorm! què més vols?

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2014 by Salvador Pila, (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:

 

This text was added to the website: 2014-11-29
Line count: 20
Word count: 87