Mondnacht
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Die Erde still geküßt,
Daß sie im Blütenschimmer
Von ihm nur träumen müßt’.
Die Luft ging durch die Felder,
Die Ähren wogten sacht,
Es rauschten leis die Wälder,
So sternklar war die Nacht.
Und meine Seele spannte
Weit ihre Flügel aus,
Flog durch die stillen Lande,
Als flöge sie nach Haus.
Moonlit Night
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Had softly kissed the Earth,
So that she in a gleam of blossom
Had only to dream of him.
The breeze passed through the fields,
The corn swayed gently to and fro,
The forests murmured softly,
The night was so clear with stars.
And my soul spread
Her wings out wide,
Flew across the silent land,
As though flying home.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Mondnacht
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Moonlit Night
English source:
Richard Stokes
Es war, als hätt’ der Himmel,
It was as though Heaven
Die Erde still geküßt,
Had softly kissed the Earth,
Daß sie im Blütenschimmer
So that she in a gleam of blossom
Von ihm nur träumen müßt’.
Had only to dream of him.
Die Luft ging durch die Felder,
The breeze passed through the fields,
Die Ähren wogten sacht,
The corn swayed gently to and fro,
Es rauschten leis die Wälder,
The forests murmured softly,
So sternklar war die Nacht.
The night was so clear with stars.
Und meine Seele spannte
And my soul spread
Weit ihre Flügel aus,
Her wings out wide,
Flog durch die stillen Lande,
Flew across the silent land,
Als flöge sie nach Haus.
As though flying home.
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
Joseph von Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism. Ever since their publication and up to the present day, some…