Songs

Finstere Schatten der Nacht

by Johannes Brahms From Neue Liebeslieder (1874) Op. 65

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Text & Translation

Finstere Schatten der Nacht
German source: Georg Friedrich Daumer

Finstere Schatten der Nacht,
Wogen- und Wirbelgefahr!
Sind wohl, die da gelind
rasten auf sicherem Lande,
euch zu begreifen im Stande?

Das ist der nur allein,
welcher auf wilder See
stürmischer Öde treibt,
Meilen entfernt vom Strande.

Dark, nocturnal shadows
English translation © Richard Stokes

Dark, nocturnal shadows,
waves and whirlpool peril!
Can they who calmly linger
safely on the shore
ever understand you?

He alone can do so
who drifts in the stormy desolation
of high seas,
miles away from the shore.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Finstere Schatten der Nacht
German source: Georg Friedrich Daumer

Dark, nocturnal shadows
English source: Richard Stokes

Finstere Schatten der Nacht,
Dark, nocturnal shadows,
Wogen- und Wirbelgefahr!
waves and whirlpool peril!
Sind wohl, die da gelind
Can they who calmly linger
rasten auf sicherem Lande,
safely on the shore
euch zu begreifen im Stande?
ever understand you?

Das ist der nur allein,
He alone can do so
welcher auf wilder See
who drifts in the stormy desolation
stürmischer Öde treibt,
of high seas,
Meilen entfernt vom Strande.
miles away from the shore.

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

Georg Friedrich Daumer

Georg Friedrich Daumer was a German poet and philosopher.

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