Der Tag ist um; schon wird die Ferne trüber, Der glatte See erglänzt in schwerem Rot, Geschmückte Barken gleiten mir vorüber, Gesang wird laut ... Wann rasten wir, mein Boot? Das Lied vertönt. Mit langen Schatten bricht Die frühe Nacht vom Hochgebirg herein. Das letzte Schiff fährt mit Laternenlicht Der Ferne zu ... Mein Boot, wir sind allein. Die Nacht wird kühl. Mich treibt es ohne Ruh Dem rätselhaften Glanz der Firne zu. Mit tastend leisen Fingern pocht der Tod An meinen Kiel ... Was zitterst du, mein Boot?
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Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, pages 153-154.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Bootnacht", written 1902, appears in Unterwegs, first published 1911 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Siegfried Garibaldi Kallenberg (1867 - 1944), "Nächtliche Bootsfahrt", 1942 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hildegard Quiel (1888 - 1971), "Bootnacht", published 1967 [ voice and piano ], from Hesse-Lieder, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Navigation de nuit", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-05-15
Line count: 12
Word count: 86