Ich [wandre]1 durch die stille Nacht,
Da schleicht der Mond so heimlich sacht
Oft aus der dunklen Wolkenhülle,
Und hin und her im Tal,
Erwacht die Nachtigall
[Dann]2 wieder alles grau und stille.

O wunderbarer Nachtgesang,
Von fern im Land der Ströme Gang,
Leis Schauern in den [dunklen]3 Bäumen --
Wirr'st die Gedanken mir,
Mein irres Singen hier 
Ist wie ein Rufen [nur]4 aus Träumen.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Joseph von Eichendorff, Sämtliche Gedichte und Versepen, Frankfurt am Main und Leipzig: Insel Verlag, 2001, page 264.

First published in the appendices to the novellas Taugenichts and Marmorbild, 1826 in the cycle Nachtbilder (no. 1)

¹ Curschmann, E. Taubert: "wandle"; further changes may exist not shown above for Taubert
² Curschmann: "Nun"
³ Curschmann, Eckert, Franz, Kletzki, Reger: "dunkeln"
⁴ omitted by Kiel

Text Authorship:

• by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), "Nachts", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Wanderlieder, first published 1841 [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 (Johann Gottfried) Heinrich Bellermann (1832 - 1903), "Nachts" [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 11, Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
• by Adolf Busch (1891 - 1952), "Nacht", op. 3 (Lieder) no. 2 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Phyllis Campbell (1891 - 1974), "Bild der Nacht", copyright © 2018 [ voice and piano ], Wirripang Pty Ltd [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Karl) Friedrich Curschmann (1805 - 1841), "Bild der Nacht", op. 18 (Fünf Lieder) no. 2 (1838), published 1838 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Richard Dünser (b. 1959), "Nachts", 1981-1982, first performed 1983 [ mezzo-soprano and orchestra ], from Doch atmet kalt mein Abend schon: Vier ernste Gesänge für Mezzosopran und Orchester, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Karl Anton Florian Eckert (1820 - 1879), "Nachtwandrer", op. 13 (Sieben Lieder und Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 6, published 1840 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich (1850 - 1900), "Nachtstück", op. 36 no. 2, H. 300 no. 2, published 1872, from Jarní paprsky (Frühlingsstrahlen), no. 2, also set in Czech (Čeština) [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Ich wandre durch die stille Nacht", op. 35 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 2, published 1861 [ voice and piano ], Breslau, Leuckart [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Robert Gund (1865 - 1927), "Nachts", op. 40 no. 5, published 1922 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Ich wandre durch die stille Nacht", op. 26 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 5, published 1843 [ voice and piano ], Bonn, Simrock [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Heinrich XIV, Graf Bolko von Hochberg (1843 - 1926), "Nachts", op. 32 (Fünf Lieder für dreistimmigen Frauenchor mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1886 [ three-part women's chorus and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
• by Friedrich Kiel (1821 - 1885), "Nachts", op. 31, Heft 2 no. 7, published 1874 [ voice and piano ], from Liederkreis. Zwölf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 7, Berlin : Bote & Bock; reprinted in 1997 by Verlag Dohr, Köln. [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Theodor Fürchtegott Kirchner (1823 - 1903), "Ich wandre durch die stille Nacht", op. 95, published 1890? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Bernhard (Joseph) Klein (1793 - 1832), "Ich wandre durch die stille Nacht", op. 16 no. 1 [ alto and piano ], from Drei Nachtlieder von J. von Eichendorff, für eine Alt-Stimme mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
• by Paul Kletzki (1900 - 1973), "Nachts", op. 3 no. 1 [ voice and piano ], from Nachtgesänge, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Armin Knab (1881 - 1951), "Ich wandre durch die stille Nacht" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Egon Kornauth (1891 - 1959), "Nachts II", op. 36 (Acht Lieder nach Eichendorff) no. 5 (1932) [ low voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Paul Müller-Zürich (1898 - 1993), "Nachts" [ men's chorus ], from Vier Lieder in kanonischer Weise, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Wilhelm Petersen (1890 - 1957), "Nachts", op. 44 no. 1, published 1956 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Albert Quinche (1867 - 1944), "Ich wandre durch die stille Nacht", published 1894? [ voice and piano ], from Sieben Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Max Reger (1873 - 1916), "Nachts", op. 14 (Fünf Duette) no. 1 (1894), published 1895 [ vocal duet for soprano and alto with piano ], London, Augener & Co. [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Aribert Reimann (b. 1936), "Nachts", 1978, from Nachtstück II, no.  [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johann Roth (1852 - 1926), "Nachts", op. 13 (Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1899 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Ries & Erler [sung text not yet checked]
• by Heinrich Kaspar Schmid (1874 - 1953), "Ich wandre", op. 13 no. 1, published 1912 [ voice and piano ], München: Wunderhornverlag [sung text not yet checked]
• by Julius Stern (1820 - 1883), "Ich wandre durch die stille Nacht", op. 10 (Sechs Gedichte) no. 1, published 1842 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ernst Edward Taubert (1838 - 1934), "Nachts", op. 2 (Sechs Gesänge für Sopran mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1865 [ soprano and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
• by Friedrich Robert Volkmann (1815 - 1883), "Nachtbild", op. 2 no. 4 (1840) [ voice and piano ], confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Richard Wetz (1875 - 1935), "Nachts", op. 27 (Vier Lieder und Gesänge für mittlere Stimme mit Klavierbegleitung) no. 2, published 1911 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig: Fr. Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
• by Erich Zeisl (1905 - 1959), "Nachts", 1931, published 1935 [ baritone and orchestra ], from Sechs Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]

Set in a modified version by Fanny Hensel, Ernst Naumann.

• Go to the text. [ view differences ] DUT FRE
  

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in Czech (Čeština), a translation by Ladislav Dolanský (1857 - 1910) ; composed by Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich.
  • Go to the text.
    

Other 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 (Emily Ezust) , "I wander through the quiet night", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Je me promenais par une nuit silencieuse", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Di notte", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 64

I wander through the quiet night;
the moon floats so secretly and gently,
often emerging from a dark cover of clouds.
And here and there in the valley
a nightingale awakens
but then all is gray and still again.

O wonderful night-song
from distant parts - the rushing of a stream
and the soft shuddering in the dark trees
confuse my thoughts.
My clamorous singing here
is only like a cry from my dreams.