by Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827)
Translation © by Arthur Rishi

Gute Nacht
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): AFR CAT DUT ENG ENG FIN FRE FRI HEB IRI ITA KOR LIT POR SPA
Fremd bin ich eingezogen,
Fremd zieh' ich wieder aus.
Der Mai war mir gewogen
Mit manchem Blumenstrauß.
Das Mädchen sprach von Liebe,
Die Mutter gar von Eh' -
Nun ist die Welt so trübe,
Der Weg gehüllt in Schnee.

Ich kann zu meiner Reisen
Nicht wählen mit der Zeit:
Muß selbst den Weg mir weisen
In dieser Dunkelheit.
Es zieht ein Mondenschatten
Als mein Gefährte mit,
Und auf den weißen Matten
Such' ich des Wildes Tritt.

Was soll ich länger weilen,
[Bis]1 man mich trieb' hinaus?
Laß irre Hunde heulen
Vor ihres Herren Haus!
Die Liebe liebt das Wandern, -
Gott hat sie so gemacht -
Von Einem zu dem Andern -
Fein Liebchen, gute Nacht!

Will dich im Traum nicht stören,
Wär' Schad' um deine Ruh',
Sollst meinen Tritt nicht hören -
Sacht, sacht die Thüre zu!
[Ich schreibe nur im Gehen]2
An's Thor [noch]3 gute Nacht,
Damit du mögest sehen,
[Ich hab' an dich]4 gedacht.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten. Herausgegeben von Wilhelm Müller. Zweites Bändchen. Deßau 1824. Bei Christian Georg Ackermann, pages 77-78; and with Urania. Taschenbuch auf das Jahr 1823. Neue Folge, fünfter Jahrgang. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus. 1823, pages 209-210.

First published in Urania (see above) with the title "Gute Nacht!" as no. 1 of Wanderlieder von Wilhelm Müller. Die Winterreise. In 12 Liedern.

1 Müller (Urania), and Schubert: "Daß"
2 Müller (Urania), and Schubert: "Schreib' im Vorübergehen"
3 Müller (Urania), and Schubert: "dir"
4 Schubert: "An dich hab' ich"

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):

  • AFR Afrikaans [singable] (Robert Schall) , "Goeie nag", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Bona nit", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Goede nacht", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Arthur Rishi) , "Good Night", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (David Paley) , "Good night", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Hyvää yötä – Hyvästi", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Bonne nuit", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRI Frisian [singable] (Pieter Wiersma) , "Goeie Nacht", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) , "לילה טוב", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , "Codladh sámh", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Buona notte", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • KOR Korean (한국어/조선말) [singable] (곽명규 Myung-Kew Kwack) , "안녕히!", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Labanakt", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Paulo Albuquerque de Noronha) , "Boa noite", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Saúl Botero Restrepo) , "Buenas noches", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Ofer Sheinberg , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 157

Good Night
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
As a stranger I arrived,
As a stranger again I leave.
May was kind to me
With many bunches of flowers.
The girl spoke of love,
Her mother even of marriage, -
Now the world is bleak,
The path covered by snow.

I cannot choose the time
Of my departure;
I must find my own way
In this darkness.
With a shadow cast by the moonlight
As my traveling companion
I'll search for animal tracks
On the white fields.

Why should I linger, waiting
Until I am driven out?
Let stray dogs howl
Outside their master's house;
Love loves to wander
God has made her so
From one to the other.
Dear love, good night!

I will not disturb you in your dreaming,
It would be a pity to disturb your rest;
You shall not hear my footsteps
Softly, softly shut the door!
On my way out I'll write
"Good Night" on the gate,
So that you may see
That I have thought of you.

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Arthur Rishi, (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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 165