Songs
Komm, o Tod, von Nacht umgeben
by Hugo Wolf From Spanisches Liederbuch: Weltliche Lieder (1890)
This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
Click here to listen to this song with Anna Huntley and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Komm, o Tod, von Nacht umgeben
German source:
Emanuel Geibel
Leise komm zu mir gegangen,
Dass die Lust, dich zu umfangen,
Nicht zurück mich ruf’ ins Leben.
Komm, so wie der Blitz uns rühret,
Den der Donner nicht verkündet,
Bis er plötzlich sich entzündet
Und den Schlag gedoppelt führet.
Also seist du mir gegeben,
Plötzlich stillend mein Verlangen,
Dass die Lust, dich zu umfangen,
Nicht zurück mich ruf’ ins Leben.
Come, O Death, shrouded in night
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Come quietly to me,
So that my joy in embracing you
Does not recall me to life.
Come, as the lightning strikes
Unheralded by thunder,
Until it suddenly flashes,
Striking a double blow.
Thus may you be granted me,
Suddenly stilling my longing,
So that my joy in embracing you
Does not recall me to life.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Komm, o Tod, von Nacht umgeben
German source:
Emanuel Geibel
Come, O Death, shrouded in night
English source:
Richard Stokes
Komm, o Tod, von Nacht umgeben,
Come, O Death, shrouded in night,
Leise komm zu mir gegangen,
Come quietly to me,
Dass die Lust, dich zu umfangen,
So that my joy in embracing you
Nicht zurück mich ruf’ ins Leben.
Does not recall me to life.
Komm, so wie der Blitz uns rühret,
Den der Donner nicht verkündet,
Bis er plötzlich sich entzündet
Und den Schlag gedoppelt führet.
Also seist du mir gegeben,
Plötzlich stillend mein Verlangen,
Dass die Lust, dich zu umfangen,
Nicht zurück mich ruf’ ins Leben.
Composer
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf was born on 13 March 1860, the fourth of six surviving children, in Windischgraz, Styria, then part of the Austrian Empire. He was taught the piano and violin by his father at an early age and continued to study piano at the…
Poet
Emanuel Geibel
Emanuel von Geibel , German poet and playwright. He was born at Lübeck, the son of a pastor. He was originally intended for his father's profession and studied at Bonn and Berlin, but his real interests lay not in theology but in classical and…