An die Nachtigall
German source:
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
Tonreichen Schall
Vom Blütenast des Apfelbaums hernieder,
O Nachtigall!
Du tönest mir mit deiner süßen Kehle
Die Liebe wach;
Denn schon durchbebt die Tiefen meiner Seele
Dein schmelzend Ach.
Dann flieht der Schlaf von neuem dieses Lager,
Ich starre dann
Mit nassem Blick’ und totenbleich und hager
Den Himmel an.
Fleuch, Nachtigall, in grüne Finsternisse,
Ins Haingesträuch,
Und spend’ im Nest der treuen Gattin Küsse;
Entfleuch, entfleuch!
To the Nightingale
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Of your love-kindled songs
Down from the blossoming boughs of the apple-tree,
O nightingale!
The tones of your sweet throat
Awaken love in me;
For the depths of my soul already quiver
With your melting lament.
Sleep once more forsakes this couch,
And I stare
Moist-eyed, haggard and deathly pale
At the heavens.
Fly, nightingale, to the green darkness,
To the bushes of the grove,
And there in the nest kiss your faithful mate;
Fly away, fly away!
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
An die Nachtigall
German source:
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
To the Nightingale
English source:
Richard Stokes
Geuß nicht so laut der liebentflammten Lieder
Do not pour so loudly the full-throated sounds
Tonreichen Schall
Of your love-kindled songs
Vom Blütenast des Apfelbaums hernieder,
Down from the blossoming boughs of the apple-tree,
O Nachtigall!
O nightingale!
Du tönest mir mit deiner süßen Kehle
The tones of your sweet throat
Die Liebe wach;
Awaken love in me;
Denn schon durchbebt die Tiefen meiner Seele
For the depths of my soul already quiver
Dein schmelzend Ach.
With your melting lament.
Sleep once more forsakes this couch,
Dann flieht der Schlaf von neuem dieses Lager,
And I stare
Ich starre dann
Moist-eyed, haggard and deathly pale
Mit nassem Blick’ und totenbleich und hager
At the heavens.
Den Himmel an.
Fly, nightingale, to the green darkness,
Fleuch, Nachtigall, in grüne Finsternisse,
To the bushes of the grove,
Ins Haingesträuch,
And there in the nest kiss your faithful mate;
Und spend’ im Nest der treuen Gattin Küsse;
Fly away, fly away!
Entfleuch, entfleuch!
Composer
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna. Brahms has been considered, by his…
Poet
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty, was German poet who is considered the most gifted lyric poet of the Göttinger Hain, a group of young poets who saw themselves as heirs of the great lyric poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock and whose work was…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- 56. Stuart Jackson, Jocelyn Freeman, George Strivens: The Country of Larks 25 Oct 2022
- The Oxford Lieder Young Artist Programme Audition Recitals (Day One - Part One) 17 Mar 2022
- 99. Robin Tritschler: To the Distant Beloved 22 Oct 2021
- 21. Nature's Musicians 11 Oct 2021
- 34. Winners of the Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform: Siân Dicker & Krystal Tunnicliffe 16 Oct 2020
- Songs of Youth & Experience: Anna Stéphany & Sholto Kynoch 14 Oct 2017
- Bring and Sing 14 Oct 2017
- A Woman's Love & Life: Juliane Banse & Marcelo Amaral 21 Oct 2016