Nocturne (Mayrhofer, set by Franz Wilhelm Abt, Franz Peter Schubert) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)

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by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Nachtstück

Language: German (Deutsch)

Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA SPA

[Wann]¹ über Berge sich der Nebel breitet,
Und Luna mit Gewölken kämpft,
So nimmt der Alte seine [Harf']², und schreitet,
Und singt waldeinwärts und gedämpft:
      "Du heil'ge Nacht!
      Bald ist's vollbracht.
      Bald schlaf ich ihn
      Den langen Schlummer,
      Der mich erlöst 
      Von [jedem]³ Kummer."
   Die grünen Bäume rauschen dann,
   Schlaf süß du guter alter Mann;
   Die Gräser lispeln wankend fort,
   Wir decken seinen Ruheort;
   Und mancher [traute]⁴ Vogel ruft,
   O [laßt]⁵ ihn ruh'n in Rasengruft! -

Der Alte horcht, der Alte schweigt -
Der Tod hat sich zu ihm geneigt.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 12.

¹ Schubert: "Wenn"
² Schubert: "Harfe"
³ Schubert: "allem"
⁴ Schubert: "liebe"
⁵ Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe): "laß"

Authorship

by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Nachtstück" [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Nachtstück", op. 148 no. 1 [ ttbb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Nachtstück", op. 36 (Zwei Lieder) no. 2, D 672 (1819), published 1825 [ voice, piano ], Cappi und Comp., VN 60, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Nocturn", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Nachtstuk", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Nocturne", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Nocturne", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Pupillo) (Claretta Manara) , "Notturno", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Juan Henríquez Concepción) , "Nocturno", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Last modified: 2017-08-14 10:47:59
Line count: 18
Word count: 90

Nocturne

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Quand au-dessus des montagnes la brume s'étend,
Et la lune se bat contre les nuages,
Alors le vieil homme prend sa harpe et s'avance
Et chante vers la forêt et à voix basse :

"Toi, sainte nuit :
Bientôt ce sera fini,
Bientôt je dormirai du long sommeil,
Qui me libèrera de toute peine."

Les arbres verts murmurent alors :
"Dors doucement, toi, bon et viel homme ;"
Les herbes chuchotent en vacillant :
"Nous couvrirons l'endroit de ton repos ;"

Et maint oiseau appelle :
"Oh, qu'il se repose dans sa tombe engazonnée !"
Le vieil homme entend, le vieil homme se tait ;
La mort s'est inclinée devant lui.

Authorship

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2010 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on

a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Nachtstück"

Text added to the website: 2010-01-16 00:00:00
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:03:30
Line count: 16
Word count: 111