Night song
(Poet's title: Nachtgesang)
Set by Schubert:
D 119
[November 30, 1814]
Part of Goethe: The second collection intended for Goethe
O! gib vom weichen Pfühle,
Träumend, ein halb Gehör.
Bei meinem Saitenspiele
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?
Bei meinem Saitenspiele
Segnet der Sterne Heer
Die ewigen Gefühle;
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?
Die ewigen Gefühle
Heben mich, hoch und hehr,
Aus irdischem Gewühle;
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?
Vom irdischen Gewühle
Trennst du mich nur zu sehr,
Bannst mich in deine Kühle;
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?
Bannst mich in diese Kühle,
Gibst nur im Traum Gehör.
Ach! auf dem weichen Pfühle
Schlafe! was willst du mehr?
Oh, from your soft pillow lend
Half an ear as you dream!
As I play these strings
Sleep! What more would you like?
As I play these strings
The army of stars blesses
Feelings of eternity.
Sleep! What more would you like?
Feelings of eternity
Lift me up, high and majestic,
Out of this earthly turbulence.
Sleep! What more would you like?
From this earthly turbulence
You cut me off all too well,
You bewitch me in your coolness
Sleep! What more would you like?
You bewitch me in this coolness
Paying attention only in dreams.
Oh, on your soft pillow
Sleep! What more would you like?
All translations into English that appear on this website, unless otherwise stated, are by Malcolm Wren. You are free to use them on condition that you acknowledge Malcolm Wren as the translator and schubertsong.uk as the source. Unless otherwise stated, the comments and essays that appear after the texts and translations are by Malcolm Wren and are © Copyright.
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Themes and images in this text:
Dreams The earth Eternity Going to bed Hard and soft Heat High, low and deep Listening Lullabies Lutes Lyres Magic and enchantment Night and the moon Serenades and songs at evening Sleep Songs (general) Stars
The instructions seem to be contradictory: sleep and pay attention! This appears to be both a lullaby (settle down on your soft pillow) and a serenade (listen to me playing these strings). The strict form and the repetitions are characteristic of a soothing lullaby but there is also the thrill and ecstasy of a serenade: the consequence of ‘falling’ asleep is to be ‘lifted’, high and majestic, into another dimension.
Who is being addressed? Is the ‘I’ who is playing the same ‘me’ that is lifted up by feelings of eternity? Who is cutting the speaker off from earthly turbulence? Is it possible that ‘Sleep’ (‘Schlafe!’) is being addressed directly, vocative noun and imperative verb in one? Is it even possible to play a lute or a lyre to put yourself to sleep? Perhaps these logical questions are examples of the turbulence of the world (a result of having to consider everything in ‘either / or’ categories) that we need to avoid by being bewitched or enchanted, taken into a dream world of ‘both / and’, where falling asleep is being lifted up to heightened awareness and where you can be both productive (singing, playing etc) and receptive (listening, opening yourself up to eternal feelings etc) at the same time. Sleep. What more do you want?
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Original Spelling and Note on the text Nachtgesang O! gieb, vom weichen Pfühle, Träumend, ein halb Gehör! Bei meinem Saitenspiele Schlafe! was willst du mehr? Bei meinem Saitenspiele Segnet der Sterne Heer Die ewigen Gefühle; Schlafe! was willst du mehr? Die ewigen Gefühle Heben mich, hoch und hehr, Aus irdischem Gewühle; Schlafe! was willst du mehr? Vom irdischen Gewühle Trennst du mich nur zu sehr, Bannst mich in deine Kühle; Schlafe! was willst du mehr? Bannst mich in diese Kühle, Gibst nur im Traum Gehör. Ach! auf dem weichen Pfühle Schlafe! was willst du mehr? Goethe's poem was a reworking of an Italian folksong: Notturno. Tu sei quel dolce fuoco, L’anima mia sei tu! E degli affetti miei .... Dormi, che vuoi di più? .... E degli affetti miei Tien le chiave tu! E di sto cuore hai .... Dormi, che vuoi di più? .... E di sto cuore hai Tutte le parte tu! E mi vedrai morire, .... Dormi, che vuoi di più? .... E mi vedrai morire, Se lo commandi tu! .... Dormi bel idol mio, Dormi, che vuoi di più? –
Confirmed by Peter Rastl with Schubert’s source, Goethe’s sämmtliche Schriften. Siebenter Band. / Gedichte von Goethe. Erster Theil. Lyrische Gedichte. Wien, 1810. Verlegt bey Anton Strauß. In Commission bey Geistinger. page 78; with Goethe’s Werke, Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand, Erster Band, Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G.Cottaschen Buchhandlung, 1827, page 98, and with Taschenbuch auf das Jahr 1804, Herausgegeben von Wieland und Goethe, Tübingen, in der Cotta’schen Buchhandlung, pages 120-121.
To see an early edition of the text go to page 78 [92 von 418] here: http://digital.onb.ac.at/OnbViewer/viewer.faces?doc=ABO_%2BZ163965701