by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation Singable translation by A. Rosenthal
Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen erst...
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: FRE
Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen [erst]1 schlafen, [Dann]2 scheinet uns der Mond, [Dann]2 leuchtet uns der Stern, Wir wandeln und singen, Und tanzen erst gern. Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen [erst]1 schlafen, Auf Wiesen an den Erlen Wir suchen unsern Raum, [Und]3 wandeln und singen Und tanzen einen Traum.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Poem headed by:
...Der Mond ist unendlich schön, Ich bin durch die neuen Wege gelaufen da sieht die Nacht himmlisch drein. Die Elfen sangen.1 omitted by Wolff
2 Wolff: "Da"
3 Stöhr: "Wir"
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, from Briefe an Charlotte Stein [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 Robert Kahn (1865 - 1951), "Elfenliedchen", op. 75 (45 Lieder für dreistimmigen Chor a capella) no. 27 (1924) [ three-part chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Julius Kniese (1848 - 1905), "Elfenliedchen", op. 12 (Fünf Lieder für 1 mittlere Stimme und Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1900 [ medium voice and piano ], Berlin, Fürstner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bohuslav Martinů (1890 - 1959), "Elfenliedchen", H 94 no. 2 (1915) [ voice and piano ], from Čtyři malé písně na Goethův text = Four Little Songs to a Text by Goethe, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (1880 - 1951), "Elfenliedchen", op. 6 no. 3, from Neun Lieder von W. Goethe, no. 3, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Friedrich Niggli (1875 - 1959), "Um Mitternacht", op. 14 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Margarete Schweikert (1887 - 1957), "Elfenliedchen", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3 (1910), published 1912 [ voice and piano ], München: Wunderhorn-Verlag [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Richard Stöhr (1874 - 1967), "Elfensang", op. 20 (5 Lieder nach Gedichten von Goethe) no. 2 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Weigl (1881 - 1949), "Die Elfen sangen", op. 8 (Fünf Frauenlieder für eine mittlere Stimme und Klavier = 5 Songs for young women for a middle voice and piano) no. 1 (1904-6), published 1914 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Weigl (1881 - 1949), "Die Elfen sangen", op. 25 (8 Frauenchöre a capella) no. 7 (1906), published 1933 [ three- or four-part women's chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Julius Weismann (1879 - 1950), "Elfenliedchen", op. 4 (Zehn Lieder) no. 9 (1900/1) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Erich J. Wolff (1874 - 1913), "Elfensang", op. 15 (Drei Lieder von Goethe) no. 2, published 1907 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), "Elfenlied", op. 22 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4 (1934), published c1977 [ soprano and piano ], Hillsdale, N. Y. : Mobart Music Publications [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hermann Karl Josef Zilcher (1881 - 1948), "Elfenlied", op. 51 no. 9, published 1923 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Dorel Handman.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Nikolai Karlovich Medtner.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English [singable] (A. Rosenthal) , "The fairies sang"
- ENG English [singable] (John Bernhoff) , "Song of the elves"
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant des elfes", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 54
The fairies sang
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
At midnight deep, when big people are sleeping Then shineth us the moon, Then glitters our star. We glide and then singing We dance near and far. At midnight deep, when big people are sleeping In glens and down by willows We choose spots to our whims. We glide and then singing We dance delightful dreams.
From the Weigl score (op. 8)
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by A. Rosenthal , "The fairies sang" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, from Briefe an Charlotte Stein
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-06-17
Line count: 10
Word count: 56