The night | It is you I sing, wild and deeply fissured rock

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Die Nacht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Dich sing ich wilde Zerklüftung,
Im Nachtsturm
Aufgetürmtes Gebirge;
Ihr grauen Türme
Überfließend von höllischen Fratzen,
Feurigem Getier,
Rauhen Farnen, Fichten,
Kristallnen Blumen.
Unendliche Qual,
Daß du Gott erjagtest
Sanfter Geist,
Aufseufzend im Wassersturz,
In wogenden Föhren.

Golden lodern die Feuer
Der Völker rings.
Über schwärzliche Klippen
Stürzt todestrunken
Die erglühende Windsbraut,
Die blaue Woge
Des Gletschers
Und es dröhnt
Gewaltig die Glocke im Tal:
Flammen, Flüche
Und die dunklen
Spiele der Wollust,
Stürmt den Himmel
Ein versteinertes Haupt.

First appeared in Der Brenner, 1914/1915.

Text Authorship:

by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Die Nacht", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen [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 Stephan Baekers , "Die Nacht", from Die Tageszeiten, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
by François Glorieux , "Die Nacht", published 1967, from Traklgedichte, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "The night", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La nuit", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2007-09-22
Line count: 27
Word count: 79

The night

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

It is you I sing, wild and deeply fissured rock,
In the night storm
you mountains towering up;
you grey towers
overflowing with infernal faces,
fiery beasts,
rough ferns, spruces,
crystal flowers.
Infinite agony,
so that you strove for God
gentle spirit,
sighing in the waterfall,
in swaying pines.

 
The peoples’ fires
blaze golden all around.
Over the edge of blackish cliffs,
drunk with death,
the blushing wind-bride,
the blue wave
of the glacier go,
and the bell in the valley
Peals loud and strong:
flames, curses
and the dark
games of lust,
a petrified head
storms heaven.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Die Nacht", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-11-28
Line count: 27
Word count: 98