Night of love | You speak of parting? Oh do not say

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by Alexander Kaufmann (1817 - 1893)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Liebesnacht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Du sprichst von Scheiden? O sag' es nicht,
  Wie Abendroth verglüh' die Lust der Stunden; --
Schau, wie des Mondes sieggewohntes Licht
  Die weite, stille Waldnacht überwunden!

Du sprichst von Scheiden? O sag' es nicht,
  Ein Schmerz nur sei der Liebe kurz Genießen; --
Schau, wie der Glanz in jene Tiefen bricht
  Und lächelnd sich die Blumen ihm erschließen!

Du sprichst von Scheiden? O sag' es nicht,
  Wir seien all' nur flücht'ge Ephermeren; --
Blick auf, ob nicht der Nacht geheiligt Licht,
  Ob nicht die Sterne besser Dich belehren!

Ruh' mir am Herzen! Es ist kein Spott,
  Wenn jetzt die Hände gläubig sich erheben
Und leis' ich bete: "Gott, mein Gott,
  Laß uns noch einmal solche Nacht erleben!"

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• J. Grimm

J. Grimm sets stanzas 1-2

Confirmed with Alexander Kaufmann, Unter den Reben. Lieder und erzählende Gedichte, Berlin: Franz Lipperheide, 1871, page 50.

Text Authorship:

by Alexander Kaufmann (1817 - 1893), "Liebesnacht", appears in Unter den Reben, in 1. Lieder, in Lieder aus ernsterer Zeit [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):

[ None yet in the database ]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

by Julius Otto Grimm (1827 - 1903), "Liebesnacht", op. 15 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4, published 1868 [ low voice and piano ], Leipzig: J. Rieter-Biedermann

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

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-08-25
Line count: 16
Word count: 115

Night of love

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You speak of parting?  Oh do not say
  That the bliss of the hours fades like the glow of evening; --
Look how the moonlight, accustomed to victory,
  Has conquered the broad, silent forest night!

You speak of parting?  Oh do not say
  That the short enjoyment of love is only pain; --
See how the radiance breaks into yonder depths
  And how the flowers smilingly open for it!

You speak of parting?  Oh do not say
  That we are all only fleeting ephemera; --
Look upward to see if the sanctified light of the night,
  If the stars do not instruct you more truly!

Rest upon my heart!  It is not blasphemy,
  When I now raise my hands in faith
And pray quietly: "God, my God,
  Let us experience such a night once more!"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2022 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 Alexander Kaufmann (1817 - 1893), "Liebesnacht", appears in Unter den Reben, in 1. Lieder, in Lieder aus ernsterer Zeit
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2022-08-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 132