Songs

Waldesnacht

by Arnold Schoenberg

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Text & Translation

Waldesnacht
German source: Paul Heyse

Waldesnacht, du wunderkühle,
Die ich tausend Male grüß',
Nach dem lauten Weltgewühle,
O wie ist dein Rauschen süß!
Träumerisch die müden Glieder
Berg' ich weich ins Moos,
Und mir ist, als würd' ich wieder
All der irren Qualen los.

Fernes Flötenlied, vertöne,
Das ein weites Sehnen rührt,
Die Gedanken in die schöne,
Ach! mißgönnte Ferne führt.
Laß die Waldesnacht mich wiegen,
Stillen jede Pein!
Und ein seliges Genügen
Saug' ich mit den Düften ein.

In den heimlich engen Kreisen,
Wird dir wohl, du wildes Herz,
Und ein Friede schwebt mit leisen
Flügelschlägen niederwärts.
Singet, holde Vögellieder,
Mich in Schlummer sacht!
Irre Qualen, löst euch wieder;
Wildes Herz, nun gute Nacht!

Woodland night
English translation © Emily Ezust

Wondrously cool woodland night,
whom I greet a thousand times:
after the uproarious tumult of the world,
o how sweet is your rustling!
Dreamily I nestle my weary limbs
in your tender moss,
and it seems to me as if once more
I were free from all my insane anguish.

Distant fluting song, emerge and
stir a wide yearning,
with thoughts of the beloved,
ah! beguile the resented distance!
Let the woodland night lull me,
still every pain,
and a blissful satisfaction
permit me to drink in with its fragrances.

In narrow, secret circles,
you, wild heart, will know well
that peace hovers above with hushed
wing-beats, slowly descending.
Lovely birds, sing your lovely songs,
sing me gently into slumber!
Distracting torments, dissipate again;
wild heart, now good night!

Translation © by Emily Ezust, reprinted with permission from the LiederNet Archive

Waldesnacht
German source: Paul Heyse

Woodland night
English source: Emily Ezust

Waldesnacht, du wunderkühle,
Wondrously cool woodland night,
Die ich tausend Male grüß',
whom I greet a thousand times:
Nach dem lauten Weltgewühle,
after the uproarious tumult of the world,
O wie ist dein Rauschen süß!
o how sweet is your rustling!
Träumerisch die müden Glieder
Dreamily I nestle my weary limbs
Berg' ich weich ins Moos,
in your tender moss,
Und mir ist, als würd' ich wieder
and it seems to me as if once more
All der irren Qualen los.
I were free from all my insane anguish.

Fernes Flötenlied, vertöne,
Distant fluting song, emerge and
Das ein weites Sehnen rührt,
stir a wide yearning,
Die Gedanken in die schöne,
with thoughts of the beloved,
Ach! mißgönnte Ferne führt.
ah! beguile the resented distance!
Laß die Waldesnacht mich wiegen,
Let the woodland night lull me,
Stillen jede Pein!
still every pain,
Und ein seliges Genügen
and a blissful satisfaction
Saug' ich mit den Düften ein.
permit me to drink in with its fragrances.

In den heimlich engen Kreisen,
In narrow, secret circles,
Wird dir wohl, du wildes Herz,
you, wild heart, will know well
Und ein Friede schwebt mit leisen
that peace hovers above with hushed
Flügelschlägen niederwärts.
wing-beats, slowly descending.
Singet, holde Vögellieder,
Lovely birds, sing your lovely songs,
Mich in Schlummer sacht!
sing me gently into slumber!
Irre Qualen, löst euch wieder;
Distracting torments, dissipate again;
Wildes Herz, nun gute Nacht!
wild heart, now good night!

Composer

Arnold Schoenberg

Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg or Schönberg was an Austrian composer, music theorist, and painter. He was associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School.

Poet

Paul Heyse

Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse was a distinguished German writer and translator. A member of two important literary societies, the Tunnel über der Spree in Berlin and Die Krokodile in Munich, he wrote novels, poetry, 177 short stories, and about sixty…

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