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Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt. Ein Fenster war noch rot im Dach, Dort saß ob einem Verseblatt Ein kranker Dichter spät noch wach. Der Tod stieß leis das Fenster ein Und blies die trübe Ampel aus. Ein Hauch, ein Blick, ein Lächelschein, Und dunkel wurde Stadt und Haus.
About the headline (FAQ)
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 56.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Der Tod ging nachts --", written 1898 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Wolfgang Rolf Ackermann , "Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt", <<1957 [ voice and piano ], from Neun Lieder, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Oskar Baumann , "Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt", op. 308 (Hermann Hesse-Lieder, 2. Folge) no. 4 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Werner Bühler (1904 - 1968), "Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt" [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Lieder, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Géza Frid (1904 - 1989), "Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt", op. 59 no. 5, published 1960 [ voice and piano ], from Abschied, liederencyclus, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Walter Lange (1884 - 1960), "Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt", 1954 [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Lieder von Hermann Hesse, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Walter Steffens (b. 1934), "Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt ", <<1956 [ four-part mixed chorus a cappella ], from Zwei Hesse-Vertonungen, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Xaver Zintl (1903 - 1987), "Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt ", <<1950 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-04-29
Line count: 8
Word count: 50
Death walked at night through a city. One window in the roof still glowed red; There, hunched over a verse-leaf, sat A sick poet, still awake quite late. Death quietly pushed the window open And blew out the dreary lamp. A breath, a glance, a fleeting smile, And darkness descended upon city and house.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Der Tod ging nachts durch eine Stadt" = "Death walked at night through a city"
"Der Tod ging nachts --" = "Death walked at night --"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Der Tod ging nachts --", written 1898
This text was added to the website: 2018-01-03
Line count: 8
Word count: 54