Im Walde [rollt]1 der Wagen
[Bei tiefer stiller Nacht;]2
Die Passagiere schlafen,
Der Postillion fährt sacht.

Bei'm Försterhaus im Walde
Was bläst der Postillion?
Die Passagiere erwachen
Und meinen, es [wäre]3 Station.

Er bläst so sanfte Lieder
Zum Fenster klar empor,
Es hallt der Wald sie wieder,
Und kommt der Mond hervor.

Ja scheine Mond in's Fenster
[Des Liebchens hold herein:]4
Da zieht durch ihre Träume
Posthorn und [Mondenschein]5.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Blumenthal: "rauscht"
² Blumenthal: "In tiefer stiller Nacht,"
³ Blumenthal: "sei"; Weingartner: "wär"
⁴ Blumenthal: "Der Liebsten hold herein!"
⁵ Blumenthal: "Mondesschein"

Text Authorship:

• by Otto Friedrich Gruppe (1804 - 1876), "Post im Walde" [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 Jacques (Jacob) Blumenthal (1829 - 1908), "Die Post im Walde" [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Ludwig Bunger , "Die Post im Walde", op. 10 (Vier Lieder für Tenor mit Pianofortebleitung) no. 1, published 1887 [ tenor and piano ], Pressburg, Heckenast [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ludwig Hartmann (1836 - 1910), "Der Postillon", op. 17 (Sechs Lieder) no. 5, published 1875 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Leipzig, Dörffel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Piutti (1846 - 1902), "Post im Walde", op. 13 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 6, published 1875 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Elise Schmezer (1810 - 1856), "Der Postillon", op. 6 (Lieder, Romanzen und Balladen, Drittes Heft der Gesänge) no. 3, published 1850 [ voice and piano ], Magdeburg: Heinrichshofen [sung text not yet checked]
• by Felix Paul Weingartner (1863 - 1942), "Post im Walde", op. 19 no. 2 (1894), published 1896 [ voice and piano ], from Hilaria. Sechs heitere Lieder, no. 2, Berlin, Fürstner [sung text checked 2 times]
• by Alexander Winterberger (1834 - 1914), "Die Post im Walde", op. 102 ([Vier] Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1886 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Peters [sung text not yet checked]

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

• ENG English [singable] (Gwendolen Gore) , "Moonlight music"

Research team for this page: Harry Joelson , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2007-11-21
Line count: 16
Word count: 75

The coach drives through the woodland
All in the summer night,
The trav'llers sleep so soundly,
The Postboy guides them right.

They pass his sweetheart's dwelling
The Postboy winds his horn,
The sleepy trav'llers awaken,
Each thinking it now is morn.

He makes such tender music,
The moon comes out to hear,
And to her casement window,
The notes flow soft and clear.

Sweet moonbeams kiss her pillow
With many a silver ray,
And through her dreams till morning,
Moonlight and music play.