Songs

Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht

by Johannes Brahms

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Text & Translation

Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht
German source: Heinrich Heine

Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht,
Das Leben ist der schwüle Tag.
Es dunkelt schon, mich schläfert,
Der Tag hat mich müd gemacht.

Über mein Bett erhebt sich ein Baum,
Drin singt die junge Nachtigall;
Sie singt von lauter Liebe,
Ich hör es sogar im Traum.

Death is cool night
English translation © Richard Stokes

Death is cool night,
Life is sultry day.
Dusk falls now, I feel drowsy,
The day has wearied me.

Over my bed rises a tree,
In which the young nightingale sings;
She sings of nothing but love,
I hear it even in my dreams.

Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht
German source: Heinrich Heine

Death is cool night
English source: Richard Stokes

Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht,
Death is cool night,
Das Leben ist der schwüle Tag.
Life is sultry day.
Es dunkelt schon, mich schläfert,
Dusk falls now, I feel drowsy,
Der Tag hat mich müd gemacht.
The day has wearied me.

Über mein Bett erhebt sich ein Baum,
Over my bed rises a tree,
Drin singt die junge Nachtigall;
In which the young nightingale sings;
Sie singt von lauter Liebe,
She sings of nothing but love,
Ich hör es sogar im Traum.
I hear it even in my dreams.

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

Heinrich Heine

Heine was born of Jewish parents. Much of his early life was influenced by the financial power of his uncle Salomon Heine, a millionaire Hamburg banker, with whom he remained on an awkward footing for many years. After he had been educated in the…

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