Nachtviolen, Nachtviolen!
Dunkle Augen, seelenvolle, -
Selig ist es sich [versinken]1
In den sammtnen Blau.

Grüne Blätter streben freudig
Euch zu hellen, euch zu schmücken;
Doch ihr blicket ernst und schweigend
In die laue Frühlingsluft.

[Ja, so fesselt ihr den Dichter:]2
Mit [erhabnem Wehmuthstrahle]3
Trafet ihr [sein]4 treues Herz.

Und nun blüht in stummen Nächten
Fort die heilige Verbindung.
[Unaussprechlich, unbegriffen,
Und die Welt erbleicht und sinkt.]2

View original text (without footnotes)

Note: Schubert received Mayrhofer's texts in handwriting; the manuscripts of his cycle Heliopolis, dedicated to Franz von Schober, are preserved in the Vienna City Library. The printed edition of Mayrhofer's poems appeared much later and presents the texts in a revised version. This poem (originally no. 4 of the cycle) is not part of the cycle in the printed edition of 1843. Here it is no. 1 of the cycle Nachtviolen.

¹ Schubert: "versenken" ("versinken" appears in his autograph but not in the published song)
² omitted by Schubert.
³ Schubert: "erhabnem Wehmuthsstrahle"
⁴ Schubert: "mein"

Text Authorship:

• by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)

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

• by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Nachtviolen", D 752 (1822), published 1872 [ voice, piano ], J. P. Gotthard, VN 325-361, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

Another version of this text exists in the database.

• Go to the text. [ view differences ]
  

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Julianes", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Nachtviolen", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Dame's violets", copyright ©
• ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , "Damask-Violets", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Juliennes des dames", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Viole notturne", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website: 2022-04-15
Line count: 15
Word count: 71

Dame's violets, dame's violets!
Dark eyes, soulful,
It is blissful to immerse oneself
In this velvet blue.

Green leaves aspire happily
To brighten you, to adorn you,
But you gaze at her earnestly and silently
In the gentle spring breeze.

[Yes, so you bind the poet:]1
With the radiance of exalted wistfulness, 
You touch [his]2 loyal heart,

And now in silent nights
Our holy union flourishes.
[Ineffable, unfathomable,
And the world turns pale and sinks.]2