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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.
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Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Schlechter Trost", written 1815, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 3. Buch der Liebe -- Uschk Nameh [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 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
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, (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.
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Schlechter Trost", written 1815, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 3. Buch der Liebe -- Uschk Nameh
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 80