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Nicht ein Flügelschlag ging durch die Welt, Still und blendend lag der weiße Schnee. Nicht ein Wölklein hing am Sternenzelt, Keine Welle schlug im starren See. Aus der Tiefe stieg der Seebaum auf, Bis sein Wipfel in dem Eis gefror; An den Ästen klomm die Nix' herauf, Schaute durch das grüne Eis empor. Auf dem dünnen Glase stand ich da, Das die schwarze Tiefe vor mir schied; Dicht ich unter meinen Füßen sah Ihre weiße Schönheit, Glied um Glied. Mit ersticktem Jammer tastet' sie An der harten Decke her und hin, Ich vergeß' das dunkle Antlitz nie, Immer, immer liegt es mir im Sinn.
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Text Authorship:
- by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890), "Winternacht", appears in Neuere Gedichte, in Jahreszeiten [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 Wilhelm Reinhard Berger (1861 - 1911), "Winternacht", op. 77 (Fünf Lieder für 1 tiefe Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1899 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]
- by Willy Burkhard (1900 - 1955), "Winternacht", op. 4 (Sieben Lieder) no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Gund (1865 - 1927), "Winternacht", op. 39 (Sechs Lieder) no. 1 (1919) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Friedrich "Fritz" Wolfgang Lessauer (1874 - 1937), "Winternacht", op. 35 (4 Gedichte von Gottfried Keller) no. 4 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Josef Mottl (1856 - 1911), "Winternacht", published 1892 [ men's chorus ], from 19 Gedichte deutscher Dichter, Heft III, no. 2, Berlin, Fürstner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Piutti (1846 - 1902), "Die Nixe", op. 13 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1875 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Winternacht", op. 59 (Neun Lieder und Gesänge nach Gedichten von Gottfried Keller) no. 6 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Paul Weingartner (1863 - 1942), "Winternacht", op. 22 (Zwölf Gedichte von Gottfried Keller für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 8, published 1896 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Winter night", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "On n'entend pas un chant d'oiseau au monde", copyright © 2012, (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: 16
Word count: 104
Not a wingbeat went through the world; silent and brilliant lay the white snow. Not a puff of cloud hung in the starry canopy, not one wave surged in the torpid lake. From the depths climbed a lake-tree, encased in ice up to its top; upon its branches climbed the water nymph, gazing up through the green ice. There I stood upon the thin glass that separated me from the black depths; Close beneath my feet I saw her white beauty, limb upon limb. With smothered sorrow she groped here and there on the hard barrier. I will never forget her dark expression; always, always, it will remain in my mind!
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,
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890), "Winternacht", appears in Neuere Gedichte, in Jahreszeiten
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 112