Der Mond kommt still gegangen
Mit seinem [goldnen Schein]1,
Da schläft [in]2 holdem Prangen 
Die müde Erde ein.

Im Traum die Wipfel weben,
Die Quellen rauschen sacht;
Singende Engel durchschweben
Die [blaue]3 Sternennacht

Und auf den Lüften schwanken
Aus manchem treuen Sinn
Viel tausend Liebesgedanken
Über [die]4 Schläfer hin.

[Und]5 drunten im [Thale, da funkeln]6
Die Fenster von Liebchens Haus;
Ich aber [blicke]7 im Dunkeln
Still in die [Welt]8 hinaus.

C. Schumann sets stanzas 1, 3-4

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Emanuel Geibel, Gedichte, vierte Auflage, Berlin: Verlag von Alexander Duncker, 1845, page 18.

Note: in Lachner's score, the first word of stanza 4 is "Da" but becomes "Und" in the repetition.

¹ Bernoully: "holden Schein"; Thuille: "Silberschein"
² Grimm: "mit"
³ Würst: "laue"
⁴ Würst: "den"
⁵ Lachner: "Da"
⁶ Kinkel: "Thale funkeln", Umlauft: "Tal, da funkeln"
⁷ Thuille: "blick'"
⁸ Umlauft: "Nacht"

Text Authorship:

• by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Nachtlied", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lübeck und Bonn [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 Wilhelm Baumgartner (1820 - 1867), "Nachtlied", op. 2 (Sechs 4 stimmige Lieder für Sopran und Alt) no. 1 (1842) [ vocal quartet (sopranos and altos) ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Caroline Luise Agnes Bernouilly, née Mindt (1825 - 1902), "Nachtlied", published 1873 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Carl Paez [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Hermann Finzenhagen (1825 - 1914), "Nachtlied", op. 3 (Vier Lieder für Sopran (oder Tenor) mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1856 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ernst Paul Flügel (1844 - 1912), "Nachtlied", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1867 [ voice and piano ], Greifswald, Verlag der Academischen Buchhandlung (and later: Leipzig, Leuckart, 1876) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Nachtlied", op. 28 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 3, published 1857 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Whistling [sung text not yet checked]
• by Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884 - 1920), "Nachtlied", A. 28 (1912), published 1984 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Julius Otto Grimm (1827 - 1903), "Nachtlied", op. 15 (Sechs Lieder) no. 5, published 1868 [ low voice and piano ], Leipzig: J. Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]
• by (Johan) Andreas Hallén (1846 - 1925), "Nachtlied", op. 13 no. 1 [ soprano and piano ], from Visor för en Sopranstämma med Pianoforte, no. 1, also set in Swedish (Svenska) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alfred Heitsch (1844 - 1885), "Nachtlied", op. 5 (Sechs Lieder mit Pianoforte) no. 6, published 1884 [ high voice and piano ], Dresden, Hoffarth [sung text not yet checked]
• by Paul Hofmann , "Nachtlied", published 1899 [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 3, Berlin, Ries & Erler [sung text not yet checked]
• by Adolf Jensen (1837 - 1879), "Nachtlied", op. 28 (Acht Lieder von E. Geibel) no. 8, published 1865 [ SATB quartet ], Leipzig, Peters ; note: this may be the wrong text for this title [sung text not yet checked]
• by Werner (Erich) Josten (1885 - 1963), "Mondesstille", published 1926, from Fünf Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johanna Kinkel (1810 - 1858), "Nachtlied", op. 7 (Sechs Lieder) no. 1 (1838), published [1838] [ voice and piano ], confirmed with Meine Lieder. Den Freunden aufgezeichnet, Berlin, 1861, Verlag der Königlichen Geheimen Ober-Hofbuchdruckerei, page 49 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by R. von Knebel-Döberitz , "Der Mond kommt still gegangen", published 1880 [ vocal duet for 2 sopranos with piano ], from Zwei Duette für zwei Soprane mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]
• by Friederich Ernst Koch (1862 - 1927), "Nachtlied", op. 6 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1891 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Marie Henriette König (1831 - 1850), "Nachtlied", op. 10 no. 4, published 1850 [ voice and piano ], from Herbstviolen : fünf Lieder, no. 4, Dresden: Brauer [sung text not yet checked]
• by Franz Paul Lachner (1803 - 1890), "Nachtlied" [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Emanuel Geibel, no. 3, MS in Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Eduard Lassen (1830 - 1904), "Nachtlied", op. 92 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1893 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Junne [sung text not yet checked]
• by Edward Alexander MacDowell (1860 - 1908), "Nachtlied", op. 12 (Zwei Lieder) no. 1, published 1885 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kahnt [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Julius Joseph Maier (1821 - 1889), "Nachtlied", op. 2 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 6, published 1848 [ SATB quartet ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Major , "Nachtlied", op. 6 ([Vier] Lieder für Sopran oder Tenor mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1891 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Hannover, Nagel Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ernst Markees (1863 - 1939), "Nachtlied", op. 5 (Fünf Gesänge) no. 5, published 1894 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: Ries & Erler [sung text not yet checked]
• by Erik Meyer-Helmund (1861 - 1932), "Der Mond kommt still gegangen", op. 31 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 2, published 1887 [ voice and piano ], Hamburg, Rahter [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Joseph) Joachim Raff (1822 - 1882), "Der Mond kommt still gegangen", op. 98 no. 19 (1855-63), from Sanges-Frühling, no. 19 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by (Joseph) Joachim Raff (1822 - 1882), "Der Mond kommt still gegangen", WoO. 20 no. 8 (<<1855) [ voice and piano ], from Todte Liebe, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Nachtlied" [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Wilhelm Rust (1822 - 1892), "Nachtlied", op. 47 (Drei Gesänge für Männerchor) no. 3, published 1891 [ men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Michael Schletterer (1824 - 1893), "Nachtlied", op. 35a (Sechs Lieder für Alt mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1877 [ alto and piano ], Stuttgart, Ebner; this opus was used by another publisher in 1879 so we have added an 'a' to it [sung text not yet checked]
• by Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896), "Der Mond kommt still gegangen", op. 13 no. 4 (1840-3), published 1844, stanzas 1,3-4 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder, no. 4, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Carl Schweich (1868 - 1912), "Der Mond kommt still gegegangen", op. 12, published 1890 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Düsseldorf: Thelen-Jansen [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ludwig Wilhelm Andreas Maria Thuille (1861 - 1907), "Nachtlied", 1877 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Friedrich Hieronymus Truhn (1811 - 1886), "Nachtlied", op. 64 no. 3, published 1844 [ voice and piano ], from Ein Liebes-Roman in zwölf Liedern. Poesien von Geibel, Heine und A. , no. 3, Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
• by Paul Umlauft (1853 - 1934), "Nachtlied", op. 1 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1879 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Josef Wagenbrenner , " Nachtlied", op. 6 (Vier Männerchöre) no. 2, published 1900 [ ttbb chorus ], Leipzig: Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
• by E. Walter , "Nachtlied", op. 18 (Drei Lieder für Alt oder Bariton mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1883 [ alto or baritone and piano ], Baden-Baden, Sommermeyer [sung text not yet checked]
• by Rudolf Wurmb (1842 - 1907), "Mondnacht", op. 3 (Zwölf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte), Heft 1 no. 1, published 1883 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Wetzler [sung text not yet checked]
• by Richard Ferdinand Würst (1824 - 1881), "Lied", op. 9 (Sechs deutsche Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 1 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Johann Baptist Zerlett (1859 - 1935), "Nachtlied", op. 38 (Drei Lieder im Volkston für Männerchor) no. 2, published 1892 [ men's chorus ], Frankfurt a/M., Steyl & Thomas [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Andreas Hallén.
  • Go to the text.
    

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De maan komt stil gevaren", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (David Kenneth Smith) , "The moon so peaceful rises", copyright © 1996, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist)
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Night song", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Kuu kohoaa hiljaa esiin", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La lune vient doucement", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• GER German (Deutsch) (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 79

Nu sänker qvällen stilla
de djupa skugor ner
och öfver verldens villa
den blida månen ler.

Tyst trädens kronor bävfa,
i mörker är dalen skymd
Sjungande englar frams väfva
Framsvävfa i härlig stjernerymd

Den sorgsne vid hoppets ankar
Förgäter all smärtan skin
Och tusende kärlekstankar
Smyga till hjertat in

Den älskades fönster mig skcickar
En ljusglimt som tindrar matt
Ensam i dunklet jag blickar
mot fjerran hän i den tysta natt!