Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen [erst]1 schlafen,
[Dann]2 scheinet uns der Mond,
[Dann]2 leuchtet uns der Stern,
Wir wandeln und singen,
Und tanzen erst gern.

Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen [erst]1 schlafen,
Auf Wiesen an den Erlen
Wir suchen unsern Raum,
Und wandeln und singen
Und tanzen einen Traum.

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View original text (without footnotes)
Poem headed by:

   ...Der Mond ist unendlich schön, 
   Ich bin durch die neuen Wege gelaufen 
   da sieht die Nacht himmlisch drein. Die Elfen sangen.

¹ omitted by Wolff
² Wolff: "Da"

Authorship

• by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), no title, from Briefe an Charlotte Stein [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 Robert Kahn (1865 - 1951), "Elfenliedchen", op. 75 (45 Lieder für dreistimmigen Chor a capella) no. 27 (1924) [three-part chorus a cappella] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Julius Kniese (1848 - 1905), "Elfenliedchen", op. 12 (Fünf Lieder für 1 mittlere Stimme und Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1900 [medium voice and piano], Berlin, Fürstner [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (1880 - 1951), "Elfenliedchen", op. 6 no. 3, also set in Russian (Русский) [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Friedrich Niggli (1875 - 1959), "Um Mitternacht", op. 14 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2 [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Margarete Voigt-Schweikert (1887 - 1957), "Elfenliedchen", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3 (1910), published 1912 [voice and piano], München: Wunderhorn-Verlag [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Karl Weigl (1881 - 1949), "Die Elfen sangen", op. 8 (Fünf Frauenlieder für eine mittlere Stimme und Klavier = 5 Songs for young women for a middle voice and piano) no. 1 (1904-6), published 1914 [medium voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Karl Weigl (1881 - 1949), "Die Elfen sangen", op. 25 (8 Frauenchöre a capella) no. 7 (1906), published 1933 [three- or four-part women's chorus a cappella] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Julius Weismann (1879 - 1950), "Elfenliedchen", op. 4 (Zehn Lieder) no. 9 (1900/1) [voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Erich J. Wolff (1874 - 1913), "Elfensang", op. 15 (Drei Lieder von Goethe) no. 2, published 1907 [voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), "Elfenlied", op. 22 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4 (1934), published c1977 [soprano and piano], Hillsdale, N. Y. : Mobart Music Publications [ sung text checked 1 time]
• by Hermann Karl Josef Zilcher (1881 - 1948), "Elfenlied", op. 51 no. 9, published 1923 [voice and piano], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 9 [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in French (Français), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ENG ENG RUS ; composed by Dorel Handman.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    
• Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ENG ENG FRE ; composed by Nikolai Karlovich Medtner.
  • Go to the text.
    

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

• ENG English [singable] (A. Rosenthal) , "The fairies sang"
• ENG English [singable] (John Bernhoff) , "Song of the elves"
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant des elfes", copyright © 2009, (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: 10
Word count: 49