Songs

Helle Nacht

by Clemens von Franckenstein

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Text & Translation

Helle Nacht
German source: Richard Dehmel

Weich küßt die Zweige
der weiße Mond.
Ein Flüstern wohnt
im Laub, als neige,
als schweige sich der Hain zur Ruh:
Geliebte du -

Der Weiher ruht, und
die Weide schimmert.
Ihr Schatten flimmert
in seiner Flut, und
der Wind weint in den Bäumen:
wir träumen - träumen -

Die Weiten leuchten
Beruhigung.
Die Niederung
hebt bleich den feuchten
Schleier hin zum Himmelssaum:
o hin - o Traum -

Bright Night
English translation © Sharon Krebs

Softly the white moon
kisses the branches.
A whispering dwells
in the foliage, as if the grove
were inclining, were silencing itself to rest:
Beloved thou -

The pond rests, and
the willow shimmers.
Its shadow flickers
in the pond’s waters, and
the wind weeps in the trees:
we dream - dream -

The vast expanses shine
a calming.
The shallow valley
palely lifts its damp
veil toward the border of heaven:
oh to be there - oh dream -

Translation © by Sharon Krebs, reprinted with permission from the LiederNet Archive

Helle Nacht
German source: Richard Dehmel

Bright Night
English source: Sharon Krebs

Weich küßt die Zweige
Softly the white moon
der weiße Mond.
kisses the branches.
Ein Flüstern wohnt
A whispering dwells
im Laub, als neige,
in the foliage, as if the grove
als schweige sich der Hain zur Ruh:
were inclining, were silencing itself to rest:
Geliebte du -
Beloved thou -

Der Weiher ruht, und
The pond rests, and
die Weide schimmert.
the willow shimmers.
Ihr Schatten flimmert
Its shadow flickers
in seiner Flut, und
in the pond’s waters, and
der Wind weint in den Bäumen:
the wind weeps in the trees:
wir träumen - träumen -
we dream - dream -

Die Weiten leuchten
The vast expanses shine
Beruhigung.
a calming.
Die Niederung
The shallow valley
hebt bleich den feuchten
palely lifts its damp
Schleier hin zum Himmelssaum:
veil toward the border of heaven:
o hin - o Traum -
oh to be there - oh dream -

Poet

Richard Dehmel

Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel was a German poet and writer. His poems use a range of metrical patterns, and have been set to music by composers such as Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, and Kurt Weill. His poetry often focused on themes of love and…

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