by
Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)
Acquainted with the night
Language: English
I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,
But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.
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Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Woods Duke (1899 - 1984), "Acquainted with the night", 1950 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arnold Freed (b. 1926), "Acquainted with the night", published 1965 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Mitchell (b. 1941), "Acquainted with the night", op. 48 no. 4 (1982) [ mezzo-soprano, cello, and piano ], from Five Poems by Robert Frost, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , "Mit der Nacht vertraut", copyright © 2010, (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: 14
Word count: 109
Mit der Nacht vertraut
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Bin einer, der vertraut ist mit der Nacht.
Ich ging im Regen aus - im Regen heim.
Ging weiter als die Stadt das Licht gebracht.
Ich sah der Straßen längstes Traurigsein.
Ich ging an des Gesetzes Aug' vorbei
Und senkt' den Blick - da ließ es mich allein.
Bin still gestanden, daß es stille sei
Wenn über Straßen, über Häuser weh
Im Winde flog ein abgeriss'ner Schrei:
Kein 'Komm zurück!' für mich und kein 'Ade!';
Und, weiter noch, wie erdenfern erdacht
Am Himmel ich das Licht der Turmuhr seh':
Drauf Zeit, die richtig nicht, nicht falsch gemacht.
Bin einer, der vertraut ist mit der Nacht.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 103
