Mitternachts weint' und schluchzt' ich
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: CAT ENG FRE
Mitternachts weint' und schluchzt' ich,
Weil ich dein entbehrte.
Da kamen Nachtgespenster
Und ich schämte mich.
»Nachtgespenster«, sagt' ich,
»Schluchzend und weinend
Findet ihr mich, dem ihr sonst
Schlafendem vorüberzogt.
Große Güter vermiss' ich.
Denkt nicht schlimmer von mir,
Den ihr sonst weise nanntet,
Großes Übel betrifft ihn!« --
Und die Nachtgespenster
Mit langen Gesichtern
Zogen vorbei,
Ob ich weise oder törig
Völlig unbekümmert.
About the headline (FAQ)
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 Ferruccio Busoni (1866 - 1924), "Schlechter Trost", 1924, published 1964 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Huber (1852 - 1921), "Mitternachts weint' und schluchzt' ich", op. 69 no. 4, published 1883 [ SATB quartet and piano four-hands ], from Aus Goethe's west-östlichem Divan. Zehn Quartette für S., A., T. und B. mit vierhändiger Pianofortebegleitung, no. 4, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Pepping (1901 - 1981), "Schlechter Trost", 1946, published 1949 [ voice and piano ], from Haus- und Trostbuch, no. 29 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Poor comfort", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Piètre consolation", copyright © 2011, (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: 17
Word count: 63
Poor comfort
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Every midnight I weep and sob
because I miss you.
One night nocturnal ghosts came
and I was ashamed.
"Nocturnal ghosts," I said,
"Sobbing and weeping
you find me, whom
sleeping, you once passed by.
Great goodness I miss.
Think not the worse of me,
this man whom once you called wise,
for a great evil has befallen him!"
And the nocturnal ghosts,
with long faces,
passed by:
whether I was wise or foolish
did not trouble them at all.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 80