by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani

Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG ENG FIN FRE GRE HEB ITA LIT SPA SPA
Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht,
Das Leben ist der schwüle Tag.
Es dunkelt schon, mich schläfert,
Der Tag hat mich müd gemacht.

Über mein Bett erhebt sich ein Baum,
Drin singt die junge Nachtigall;
Sie singt von lauter Liebe -
Ich hör es sogar im Traum.

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


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

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Paul Ambrose.
  • Also set in English, a translation by A. Davenport ; composed by Edward Baxter Felton.
  • Also set in English, a translation by Henry Grafton Chapman (1860 - 1913) ; composed by Theodore Paxson.
  • Also set in English, a translation by Louise Bogan (1897 - 1970) ; composed by David Rakowski.
  • Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Nancy Hayes Van de Vate.
  • Also set in English, adapted by J. Snodgrass , "Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht", appears in Poems Selected from Heinrich Heine, ed. by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker, London: Walter Scott, Limited, pages 122-123, first published 1887 ; composed by Healey Willan.
  • Also set in English, a translation by Theodore Martin, Sir, KCB KCVO (1816 - 1909) , "Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht" ; composed by Frances Allitsen, née Bumpus.
  • Also set in French (Français), a translation by Maurice Dufresne (d. 1953) ; composed by Tibor Harsányi.
  • Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Mikhail Larionovich Mikhailov (1829 - 1865) , no title ; composed by Konstantin Petrovich Vil'boa.
  • Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Konstantin Dmitrevich Bal'mont (1867 - 1942) , no title ; composed by G. A. Goldenberg.
  • Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Vasili Ivanovich Krasov (1810 - 1854) , "Из Гейне" ; composed by Arseny Nikolayevich Koreshchenko.
  • Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Vladimir Alekseyevich Senilov.
  • Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Oscar Blom.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Death is the cool night", copyright © 2019
  • ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881
  • ENG English [singable] (Daniel Platt) , "O Death, that is the cooling night", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Milla Valkeasuo) , "Kuolema on kylmä yö", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) (Ελενη Θεοδωριδου) , "Ο θάνατος είναι η κρύα νύχτα", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) , "המוות דומה ללילה הקריר", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "La morte è una notte fresca", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Sergio Sarano) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , "La muerte es la fría noche", copyright © 2020, (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: 8
Word count: 48

La morte è una notte fresca
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the German (Deutsch) 
La morte è una notte fresca,
la vita un giorno afoso,
Già si fa buio, ho sonno,
e mi ha stancato il giorno.
 
C'è un albero vicino al mio letto,
lì canta un usignolo;
Canta soltanto d' amore -- 
In sogno lo sento pure.

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2008 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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:

 

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-04
Line count: 8
Word count: 43