by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)
Translation © by Paolo Pupillo, Claretta Manara

Nachtstück
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA SPA
[Wann]1 über Berge sich der Nebel breitet,
Und Luna mit Gewölken kämpft,
So nimmt der Alte seine [Harf']2, und schreitet,
Und singt waldeinwärts und gedämpft:
      "Du heil'ge Nacht!
      Bald ist's vollbracht.
      Bald schlaf ich ihn
      Den langen Schlummer,
      Der mich erlöst 
      Von [jedem]3 Kummer."
   Die grünen Bäume rauschen dann,
   Schlaf süß du guter alter Mann;
   Die Gräser lispeln wankend fort,
   Wir decken seinen Ruheort;
   Und mancher [traute]4 Vogel ruft,
   O [laßt]5 ihn ruh'n in Rasengruft! -

Der Alte horcht, der Alte schweigt -
Der Tod hat sich zu ihm geneigt.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 12.

1 Schubert: "Wenn"
2 Schubert: "Harfe"
3 Schubert: "allem"
4 Schubert: "liebe"
5 Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe): "laß"

Authorship:

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

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Nocturn", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Nachtstuk", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Nocturne", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Nocturne", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Pupillo) (Claretta Manara) , "Notturno", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Juan Henríquez Concepción) , "Nocturno", copyright © 2008, (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: 18
Word count: 90

Notturno
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the German (Deutsch) 
 Quando sui monti si spande la nebbia
 e Luna combatte contro le nuvole,
 prende il vecchio la sua arpa e s'incammina,
 inoltrandosi nel bosco canta sommesso:

 "Tu notte santa:
 presto sarà compiuto,
 presto mi addormenterò, nel lungo sonno
 che mi libera da ogni pena". 

 Allora mormorano gli alberi verdi:
 "dormi pure tranquillo, buon vecchio";
 le erbe bisbigliano, sempre inchinandosi:
 "noi proteggiamo il luogo del suo riposo";

 e gli uccelletti cantano:
 "oh, fatelo riposare nella tomba del prato!" 
 Il vecchio ascolta, il vecchio tace,
 la morte gli è accanto. 

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © by Paolo Pupillo and Claretta Manara, (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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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 89