The clock strikes twelve - why, is it noon? | The clock strikes twelve - why, is it noon?

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by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890)

Translation © by Martin Stock

Zwölf hat's geschlagen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Zwölf hat's geschlagen - warum denn Mittag?
Vielleicht der Mitternacht ja galt der Schlag,
Daß oben nun des Himmels Sterne gehn:
Ich weiß es nicht und kann es ja nicht sehn!

Ha, Mitternacht! Ein heller Hoffnungsstrahl!
Der nächtlich wohl schon manches Grab bestahl,
Der Totengräber schleicht vielleicht herbei
Und macht erschrocken mich Lebend'gen frei!

Doch was für Kleinod sollt er suchen hier?
Er weiß zu gut, er findet nichts bei mir!
Ein golden Ringlein nun erlöste mich,
Jedoch umsonst ist nur der Tod für dich!

Text Authorship:

by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890), appears in Gesammelte Gedichte, in Lebendig begraben, no. 9 [author's text not yet checked 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 Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Zwölf hat's geschlagen", op. 40 no. 9 (1926) [bass or baritone, mixed chorus, and orchestra], from Lebendig begraben: 14 Gesänge nach der gleichnamigen Gedichtfolge von Gottfried Keller, no. 9, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel [
text verified 1 time
]

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

ENG English (Martin Stock) , title 1: "The clock strikes twelve - why, is it noon?", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Douze coups ont sonné -- pourquoi, est-ce midi ?", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 84

The clock strikes twelve ‑ why, is it noon?

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The clock strikes twelve - why, is it noon?
Perhaps the bell meant midnight,
The skies above with stars alight -
I do not know and cannot see it!

What, midnight! Light ray of hope!
He who plundered many a grave in nights before,
the grave digger, he might sneak up to me
and, shocked in himself, might free me, still alive!

But what treasure should he seek here?
He knows darn well he won't find anything on me!
A golden ring would be my rescue,
The only thing you get for free is death!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2004 by Martin Stock, (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 Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890), appears in Gesammelte Gedichte, in Lebendig begraben, no. 9
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2004-04-10
Line count: 12
Word count: 93