by William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850)
Translation by B. Damjakob
To Sleep
Language: English
A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by One after one; the sound of rain and bees Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas, Smooth fields, white sheets of water and pure sky;-- I've thought of all by turns and still I lie Sleepless; and soon the small birds' melodies Must hear, first uttered from my orchard trees, And the first cuckoo's melancholy cry. Even thus last night, and two nights more I lay And could not win thee, Sleep! by any stealth: So do not let me wear to-night away. Without Thee what is all the morning's wealth? Come, blessed barrier between night and day, Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!
Text Authorship:
- by William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850), "To Sleep" [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by B. Damjakob , no title ; composed by Ernst Pepping.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 115
Die Herde Schlaf, die gemächlich zieht
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Die Herde Schlaf, die gemächlich zieht, des Regens Plätschern, schwingendes Gesumm der Bienen, Fluß und Meer und Wind ringsum, die Felder, Wasserflächen, Himmel sieht mein Geist der Reihe nach, und immer flieht mich noch der Schlaf. Und bald wird aus dem Wald der Kuckuck melancholisch rufen, bald schallt aus dem Obsthain erstes Vogellied. So hab ich letzhin jede Nacht verbracht; dich, zwischen Tag und Tag, ersehnte ich: O, meide, Schlaf, mich nicht auch diese Nacht! Was ist der reiche Morgen ohne dich? Du bist es, der ihn frisch und fröhlich macht. Komm, gute Mutter, Schlaf, erquicke mich.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in English by William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850), "To Sleep"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ernst Pepping (1901 - 1981), "An den Schlaf", 1946, published 1949 [ voice and piano ], from Haus- und Trostbuch, no. 19 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 97