Songs

Die Mitternacht war kalt und stumm

by Heinrich Heine From Lyrisches Intermezzo (1823) 1822-1823

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Text & Translation

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Die Mitternacht war kalt und stumm
German source: Heinrich Heine

Die Mitternacht war kalt und stumm;
Ich irrte klagend im Wald herum.
Ich hab die Bäum aus dem Schlaf gerüttelt;
Sie haben mitleidig die Köpfe geschüttelt.

The midnight air was cold and still
English translation © Hal Draper

The midnight air was cold and still,
Plaintive I wandered the wood at will.
Out of their sleep I shook every tree;
They waggled their heads in pity for me.

Translations by Hal Draper published by Oxford University Press and Suhrkamp/Insel Verlag (1984)

Die Mitternacht war kalt und stumm
German source: Heinrich Heine

The midnight air was cold and still
English source: Hal Draper

Die Mitternacht war kalt und stumm;
The midnight air was cold and still,
Ich irrte klagend im Wald herum.
Plaintive I wandered the wood at will.
Ich hab die Bäum aus dem Schlaf gerüttelt;
Out of their sleep I shook every tree;
Sie haben mitleidig die Köpfe geschüttelt.
They waggled their heads in pity for me.

Composer

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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