Kling leise, mein Lied, durch die schweigende Nacht, Kling leise, daß nicht die Geliebte erwacht! Behutsam zu ihren Fenstern hinauf, Kling leise, mein Lied, und wecke sie nicht auf! Kling leise mein Lied, kling leise und sacht, Dass die Geliebte nicht erwacht! Umschlinge sie sanft, wie die Ranke den Baum In Liebe umschlingt mit dem Blütentraum, Und singe verzückt, wie die Nachtigall singt, Die der Rose ein klingendes Ständchen bringt. Erwecke sie nicht mit zu stürmischem Gruß, Tritt behutsam nur auf, wie des Pilgers Fuß Hin durch den heiligen Tempel geht, Still klinge dein Gruß, wie ein leises Gebet!1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Note: some lines of this poem were used in Zanettovich's Lied (mond - nacht - liebes - traum - lied)
Note: in some versions of Liszt's setting, "sacht" is replaced in stanza 1, line 5 with "mild" even though it doesn't rhyme.
1 Liszt addsKling leise, mein Lied, durch die schweigende Nacht, Kling leise, daß nicht die Geliebte erwacht! Behutsam zu ihren Fenstern hinauf, Kling leise, mein Lied, Behutsam zu ihren Fenstern hinauf, Leise und mild, Daß nicht die Geliebte erwacht! Daß nicht die Geliebte erwacht! O, wecke sie nicht!
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Rumpelmeyer (1820 - 1887), as Johannes Nordmann [author's text not yet checked 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 (Ferenc) Liszt (1811 - 1886), no title, S. 301 no. 2 (1848), published 1860 [ voice and piano ], second version (although there is a book that claims this setting was composed in 1839) [sung text checked 1 time]
Set in a modified version by Franz Liszt.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English [singable] (Charles Fonteyn Manney) , "Breathe gently, my song", first published 1911
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 100
Breathe gently, my song, through the silence of night, Nor waken my love from her dreams of delight; Thy way to her window tenderly take, Breathe gently, my song, nor cause her to awake! Breathe gently, my song, let each mellow tone Entreat my darling to sleep on. Thy tendrils of love round her heart entwine, As close to the tree clings the flow'ry vine; And sing as the nightingale in the glade To the rose sings his rapturous serenade. Awaken her not with too stormy caress; Like a pilgrim soft-shod, draw thou near to bless, As ent'ring devoutly a temple fair, So sound then my song, like a low murmur'd pray'r!
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Charles Fonteyn Manney (1872 - 1951), "Breathe gently, my song", first published 1911 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Rumpelmeyer (1820 - 1887), as Johannes Nordmann
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-06-03
Line count: 14
Word count: 112