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Um Mitternacht ging ich, nicht eben gerne,
Klein kleiner Knabe, jenen Kirchhof hin
Zu Vaters Haus, des Pfarrers; Stern an Sterne
Sie leuchteten doch alle gar zu schön;
Um Mitternacht.
Wenn ich dann ferner in des Lebens Weite
Zur Liebsten mußte, mußte, weil sie zog,
Gestirn und Nordschein über mir im Streite,
Ich gehend, kommend Seligkeiten sog;
Um Mitternacht.
Bis dann zu letzt des vollen Mondes Helle
So klar und deutlich mir ins [Finstere]1 drang,
Auch der Gedanke willig, sinnig, schnelle
Sich ums Vergangne wie ums Künftige schlang;
Um Mitternacht.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Hiller: "Finst're"
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Um Mitternacht", appears in Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe, letzter Hand, Band III, in 1. Lyrisches [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Um Mitternacht" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Um Mitternacht", 1827 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Pepping (1901 - 1981), "Um Mitternacht", 1946, published 1949 [ voice and piano ], from Haus- und Trostbuch, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Friedrich Zelter (1758 - 1832), "Um Mitternacht", 1818 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Karl Josef Zilcher (1881 - 1948), "Um Mitternacht ging ich", op. 51 no. 8, published 1923 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "At midnight", copyright © 2013
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "À minuit", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "A medianoche", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 91
À minuit j'allais, pas vraiment de bon gré,
Petit, petit garçon, par ce cimetière
Vers la maison du Père ; étoile aprèe étoile,
Comme elles brillaient toutes magnifiquement ;
À minuit.
Quand plus tard dans l'immensité de la vie
Vers ma bien-aimée je dois, je dois aller, parce qu'elle m'attire.
Les étoiles et la lumière du Nord au-dessus de moi luttent,
Pendant que je marche, j'aspire le bonheur.
À minuit.
Jusqu'à ce que, enfin, la lumière de la pleine lune
Si brillante et nette plonge dans mon obscurité
Et mon esprit, docile, profond, rapide,
S'enroule autour du passé et du futur.
À minuit.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2015 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Um Mitternacht", appears in Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe, letzter Hand, Band III, in 1. Lyrisches
This text was added to the website: 2015-10-28
Line count: 15
Word count: 101