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Heilige Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Sterngeschloßner Himmelsfrieden! Alles, was das Licht geschieden, Ist verbunden, Alle Wunden Bluten süß im Abendrot. Bjelbogs Speer, Bjelbogs Speer Sinkt ins Herz der trunknen Erde, Die mit seliger Gebärde Eine Rose In dem Schoße Dunkler [Lüste]1 niedertaucht. [Züchtige]2 Braut, züchtige Braut! Deine süße Schmach verhülle, Wenn des Hochzeitsbechers Fülle Sich ergießet; Also fließet In die brünstige Nacht der Tag!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesNote: Bjelbog is a Slavic god of light.
1 Strauss: "Lüfte"
2 Strauss: "Heilige Nacht! Züchtige"
Text Authorship:
- by Clemens Maria Wenzeslaus von Brentano (1778 - 1842), no title, written 1812/4, appears in Die Gründung Prags, first published 1815 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "An die Nacht", op. 68 (Sechs Lieder nach Gedichten von Clemens Brentano) no. 1 (1918)
Score: IMSLP [external link] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , no title, copyright © 2002, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (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: 18
Word count: 65
Holy night! Holy night! Star-enclosed sky-peace! Everything that light divided is connected; all wounds bleed sweetly in evening's red glow. Bjelbog's spear, Bjelbog's spear sinks into the heart of the drunken Earth, which, with a blissful gesture, dips a rose in the womb of dark [desires]1. [Demure]2 bride, demure bride! Hide your sweet shame when the wedding goblet's fullness is poured out; thus flows, into the lustful night, day!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesTranslation of title "An die Nacht" = "To the Night"
1 Strauss: "breezes"
2 Strauss: "Holy night! Demure"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2002 by John Glenn Paton, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Clemens Maria Wenzeslaus von Brentano (1778 - 1842), no title, written 1812/4, appears in Die Gründung Prags, first published 1815
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 72