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 Quirijn de Lang and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Nacht und Grab
German source:
Heinrich Zschokke
In deiner hehren Sternenpracht;
Mit weichen Händen bietest du
Des Staubes Kindern deine Ruh'.
O Brüder, schlummert sanft den süssen Schlummer,
Ein neuer Tag weckt euch zu neuem Kummer.
Auch in den stummen Gräbern ihr
Ruht sanft von eurer Arbeit hier;
Vergessenheit ist euer Los,
Und euer Obdach dieses Moos.
O Brüder, schlummert sanft des Todes Schlummer,
Kein neuer Tag zu neuem Kummer.
Night and grave
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
In your sublime and star-studded splendour;
With tender hands you offer
Repose to the children of dust.
O brothers, sleep this gentle sleep,
A new day wakens you to new sorrow.
And in your silent graves,
You also rest from your toil on earth;
Oblivion is your destiny,
And this moss your shelter.
O brothers, sleep this gentle sleep of death,
No new day will waken you to new sorrow.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Nacht und Grab
German source:
Heinrich Zschokke
Night and grave
English source:
Richard Stokes
Sei mir gegrüsst, o schöne Nacht
Welcome, o beautiful night,
In deiner hehren Sternenpracht;
In your sublime and star-studded splendour;
Mit weichen Händen bietest du
With tender hands you offer
Des Staubes Kindern deine Ruh'.
Repose to the children of dust.
O Brüder, schlummert sanft den süssen Schlummer,
O brothers, sleep this gentle sleep,
Ein neuer Tag weckt euch zu neuem Kummer.
A new day wakens you to new sorrow.
Auch in den stummen Gräbern ihr
And in your silent graves,
Ruht sanft von eurer Arbeit hier;
You also rest from your toil on earth;
Vergessenheit ist euer Los,
Oblivion is your destiny,
Und euer Obdach dieses Moos.
And this moss your shelter.
O Brüder, schlummert sanft des Todes Schlummer,
O brothers, sleep this gentle sleep of death,
Kein neuer Tag zu neuem Kummer.
No new day will waken you to new sorrow.
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
Heinrich Zschokke
Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke was a German, later Swiss, author and reformer. Most of his life was spent, and most of his reputation earned, in Switzerland. He had an extensive civil service career, and wrote histories, fiction and other works…