Nachtviolen, Nachtviolen!
Dunkle Augen, seelenvolle, -
Selig ist es sich [vertiefen]1
In [das sammtne]2 Blau.

Grüne Blätter streben freudig
Euch zu hellen, euch zu schmücken;
Doch ihr [schauet]3 ernst und [ahnend]4
In die laue [Sommerluft]5.

[Ja, so fesselt ihr den Dichter:]6
Mit [erhabnen Wehmutsstrahlen]7
Trafet ihr [sein]8 treues Herz.

Und [so]9 blüht in stummen Nächten
Fort die heilige Verbindung.
[Unaussprechlich, unbegriffen,
Und die Welt [erreicht sie nicht]10.]6

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Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 121; and with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Neue Sammlung. Aus dessen Nachlasse mit Biographie und Vorwort herausgegeben von Ernst Freih. v. Feuchtersleben. Wien, 1843. Verlag von Ignaz Klang, Buchhändler, page 214.

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"; Mayrhofer's manuscript (and Schubert's autograph): "versinken"
² Schubert; and Mayrhofer's manuscript: "dem sammtnen"
³ Schubert; and Mayrhofer's manuscript: "blicket"
⁴ Schubert; and Mayrhofer's manuscript: "schweigend"
⁵ Schubert; and Mayrhofer's manuscript: "Frühlingsluft"
⁶ omitted by Schubert
⁷ Mayrhofer's manuscript: "erhabnem Wehmuthstrahle"; Schubert: "erhabnem Wehmuthsstrahle"
⁸ Schubert: "mein"
⁹ Schubert; and Mayrhofer's manuscript: "nun"
¹⁰ Mayrhofer's manuscript: "erbleicht und sinkt"

Authorship

• by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Nachtviolenlied" [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 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]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2010, (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: 15
Word count: 67

Julianes, julianes!
Ulls foscos, plens d’ànima,
és un goig esfondrar-se
en el vostre blau vellutat.

Les fulles verdes malden joioses
per enllumenar-vos, per ornar-vos,
però vosaltres, serioses i en silenci, esguardeu
vers l’aire tebi de la primavera.

Amb raigs sublims de melangia
heu colpit el meu cor fidel
i ara, en les nits silencioses,
floreix el nostre vincle sagrat.