At night most animals are asleep | At night most animals are asleep

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by Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero (1585 - 1618)

Translation © by Tinelot Wittermans

Snachts rusten meest de dieren

Language: Dutch (Nederlands)

Our translations: ENG

Snachts rusten meest de dieren,
Oock mensen goet, en quaat,
En mijn Lief goedertieren
Is in een stille staat:
Maer ick moet eensaam swieren,
En cruysen hier de straet.

Ick sie het swerrick drijven
Ick sie de claare Maan,
Ick sie, dat ick moet blijven
Alleen mistroostich staan!
Ach lief, wilt mij gerijven
Met troostelijck vermaan!

Och slaapt ghij mijn behagen,
Dewijl ick doe mijn clacht?
Wat baet mij dan mijn claagen,
Nu ghij den dooven slacht:
Ick salt gheduldich draagen,
Ick wensch u goede nacht.

Adieu Prinsesge jeugelijck
Mijn Vrou van mij gemoet:
Adieu en droomt gheneughelijck
En slaapt gerust en soet:
Ach t'is mij soo onmeuchelijck
Te rusten als ghij doet.

Text Authorship:

by Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero (1585 - 1618) [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 Willem Pijper (1894 - 1947), "Snachts rusten meest de dieren", from Acht oud Hollandsche liederen, Deel 2, no. 8. [
text verified 1 time
]

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

ENG English (Tinelot Wittermans) , title 1: "At night most animals are asleep", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Tinelot Wittermans

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 113

At night most animals are asleep

Language: English after the Dutch (Nederlands)

At night most animals are asleep,
People too, good and bad,
And my love, being well,
Is resting quietly.
But I must lonely wander
And cross the streets here.

I see the clouds moving across the sky,
I see the clear moon,
I see, that I must sadly 
stand alone!
Oh, dear, will you comfort me
And help me with your advice?

Oh, are you sleeping, my beloved,
While I'm complaining?
What use is it to complain
now that you're deaf to the world?
I must bear it patiently.
I wish you a good night.

Adieu young princess,
Woman of my heart,
Adieu and have pleasant dreams
And sleep restful and sweet.
Oh, it's impossible for me
To sleep like you do.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Dutch (Nederlands) to English copyright © by Tinelot Wittermans, (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 Dutch (Nederlands) by Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero (1585 - 1618)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 122