by
Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Wache Nacht
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: CAT ENG
Bleich blickt die föhnige Nacht herein,
Der Mond im Wald will untergehn.
Was zwingt mich doch mit banger Pein
Zu wachen und hinauszusehn?
Ich hab geschlafen und geträumt;
Was hat mir mitten in der Nacht
Gerufen und so bang gemacht,
Als hätt ich Wichtiges versäumt?
Am liebsten liefe ich vom Haus,
Vom Garten, Dorf und Lande fort
Dem Rufe nach, dem Zauberwort,
Und weiter und zur Welt hinaus.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 378.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gottfried von Einem (1918 - 1996), "Wache Nacht", op. 43 no. 4 (1974) [ medium voice and piano ], from Leb wohl, Frau Welt, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Peter Escher (1915 - 2008), "Wache Nacht", 1948 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Kracke (1910 - 1989), "Wache Nacht", published 1955 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wolfgang Nening (b. 1966), "Wache Nacht ", 2004/5 [ medium voice and piano ], from 4 Lieder nach Texten von Hermann Hesse, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Wache Nacht ", 1980 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ludwig Seiler , "Wache Nacht", 1948 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Nit de vetlla", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Wakeful night", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Sharon Krebs
[Senior Associate Editor]This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 68
Nit de vetlla
Language: Catalan (Català) after the German (Deutsch)
Pàl·lida, esguarda la nit amb vent de foehn,
la lluna al bosc vol pondre's.
Què em mou amb un dolor angoixós
a vetllar i a estar alerta?
Dormia i somiava;
què em va cridar enmig de la nit
i em va neguitejar tant,
com si hagués negligit alguna cosa important?
M'estimaria més fugir de la casa,
del jardí, del poble i del país,
seguint la crida, la paraula màgica,
i més i més lluny, fora del món.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2026 by Salvador Pila, (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 Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Wache Nacht", written 1946
This text was added to the website: 2026-02-28
Line count: 12
Word count: 77
