Wir stimmen dir mit [Flötensang]1,
In süßem Ton und Harfenklang,
Ein nächtlich [Lied, zur]2 Freude!
Aus deiner Hülle tritt hervor,
Daß sich im stillen Abendflor
Dein Herz und Auge weide.

Komm, sieh! wie alles schläft und ruht,
Und unter Lunens sichrer Hut
Entweicht der Menschen Kummer.
Sieh, wie die Gegend vor uns liegt,
Als hättest du sie eingewiegt,
In [süßem]3 Liebesschlummer!

[O säume]4 nicht, erhebe dich!
Schon wartet deiner wonniglich
Das ganze Heer der Sterne:
Denn guten Seelen sind sie hold,
Und streuen ihnen funkelnd Gold
Aus der gewölbten Ferne.

Schließ [dich an]5 uns! Auf stiller Bahn
Weht dich kein falsches Lüftchen an.
Laß dich im Dunkeln grüßen!
Noch enger knüpft die Nacht das Band,
Wenn Freunde traulich, Hand in Hand,
Sich an einander schließen.

Drum laden wir mit [Flötensang]1,
In süßem Ton und Harfenklang,
Dich ein zu unsrer Freude;
Vereine dich mit unserm Chor,
Daß sich im nächtlich stillen Flor
Dein Herz und Auge weide.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Lyrische Anthologie. Herausgegeben von Friedrich Matthisson. Achter Theil. Zürich 1804. bey Orell Füssli und Compagnie, pages 109-110; and with Poetische Blumenlese Auf das Jahr 1780. Göttingen bey Johann Christian Dieterich, pages 144-145.

¹ Seckendorf (1780 edition): "Flöten Sang"
² Schubert: "Lied der"
³ Seckendorf (1780 edition): "sanftem"
⁴ Seckendorf (1780 edition): "Säum länger"
⁵ Schubert: "an dich"

Text Authorship:

• by Karl Sigmund Freiherr von Seckendorff (1744 - 1785), "Nachtmusik", first published 1780 [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 Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Nachtmusik", op. posth. 156, D 848 (1825), published 1849 [ ttbb quartet ], A. Diabelli & Co., VN 8850, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Música nocturna", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Nachtmuziek", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "Night music", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2007-07-05
Line count: 30
Word count: 156

We are raising our voices to you with the singing of the flute's
Sweet notes and the sound of a harp, 
A night song of joy!
Step forward out of your shelter,
So that in the quiet field of evening
Your heart and eyes can take pleasure.

Come, look at how everything is sleeping and resting,
And under Luna's secure protection
Human concerns fade away.
Look at how the neighbourhood is lying before us
As if you had cradled it and lulled it
Into a sweet loving sleep!

Oh do not delay, raise yourself!
They are already waiting for you in bliss - 
That whole host of stars:
For they are kind to good souls
And they strew their sparkling gold
Out of the vaulted distance.

Join with us! On quiet tracks
No evil breezes are going to blow on you.
Allow yourself to be greeted in the dark!
Night ties the connections even more tightly
When friends intimately, hand in hand,
Join together.

We therefore invite you with the singing of the flute's
Sweet notes and the sound of a harp, 
To come and join our joy;
Unite yourself with our choir,
So that in the quiet field of night
Your heart and eyes can take pleasure.