Toi nuit noire, toi cœur noir

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Du dunkle Nacht, du dunkles Herz

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Du dunkle Nacht, du dunkles Herz,
Wer spiegelt eure heiligsten Gründe,
Und eurer Bosheit letzte Schlünde?
Die Maske starrt vor unsrem Schmerz -

Vor unsrem Schmerz, vor unsrer Lust
Der leeren Maske steinern Lachen,
Daran die irdnen Dinge brachen,
Und das uns selber nicht bewußt.

Und steht vor uns ein fremder Feind,
Der höhnt, worum wir sterbend ringen,
Daß trüber unsre Lieder klingen
Und dunkel bleibt, was in uns weint.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), no title, appears in Gesang zur Nacht, no. 3 [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 Ernst Ludwig Leitner (b. 1943), "Du dunkle Nacht", 1978, first performed 1979 [low voice, flute, and harp], from Gesang zur Nacht. 12 Gesänge nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl, no. 3, self published: Edition 43 [
text not verified
]

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

FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 69

Toi nuit noire, toi cœur noir

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

Toi nuit noire, toi cœur noir,
Qui reflète vos profondeurs les plus sacrées
Et les abîmes sans fonds de votre fiel ?
Le masque se fige devant notre douleur,

Devant notre douleur, devant notre plaisir,
Le rire pétrifié du masque vide
Où se brisèrent les choses de la terre
Sans même que nous en ayons conscience.

Alors se dresse devant nous un ennemi inconnu,
Qui ricane, quand à l'agonie nous luttons
Pour que nos chants sonnent brouillés,
Pour que ce qui pleure en nous reste noir.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Pierre Mathé, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), no title, appears in Gesang zur Nacht, no. 3
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-04-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 85