MONDNACHT

“May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door.” - Irish Blessing

For Song Saturday today, a beautiful song by Robert Schumann (1810-1856). It is his “Mondnacht”, written in 1840 and sung here by Barbara Bonney, accompanied by Vladimir Ashkenazy on the piano. The lied is from the collection “Liederkreis”, opus 39 and the lyrics are by Joseph von Eichendorff.

In case your German is a little rusty, here is a translation of the text:

Moonlit Night

It was as if the heavens

Had silently kissed the earth,

So that the earth had only to dream of it

In shiny blooms.

The air caressed the fields

With the ears of corn swaying slightly;

A rustle whispering in the woods,

The night as clear as stars.

And my soul expanded,

Spread its wings,

Over the quiet lands,

As if it were flying home.