Ich hab die Nacht geträumet
{{Short description|German folk song}}
{{Infobox musical composition
| name = "{{Lang|de|Ich hab die Nacht geträumet|italic=no}}"
| type = Folk song
| image = Ich hab die Nacht geträumet.jpg
| alt =
| caption = From Deutscher Liederhort (1893), p. 618
| translation = I dreamed last night
| text = by August Zarnack
| language = German
| published = {{Start date|1820}}
}}
"{{lang|de|Ich hab die Nacht geträumet|italic=no}}" (I dreamed last night) is a German folk song. It is a melancholic song that tells of a disturbing dream foreshadowing death – a rosemary tree in the garden, falling leaves, and a jar broken to pieces and bleeding a red liquid. In Northern Germany, rosemary was planted in graveyards, and mourners at funerals would sometimes wear rosemary stalks.
History
It is unknown when the song was first popularized, but the melody was first written and published in 1777 by Friedrich Nicolai in Eyn feyner kleyner Almanach with the text of "{{Lang|de|Es wollt ein Jäger jagen|italic=no}}" (A hunter wanted to go hunting).[https://books.google.com/books?id=QwrkAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA76 Eyn feyner kleyner Almanach] Other versions using the same melody but different lyrics included "{{Lang|de|Das Laub fällt von den Bäumen|italic=no}}" (The leaves fall from the trees) by Siegfried August Mahlmann in 1804/1805, "{{Lang|de|Schöne Kinder lieben|italic=no}}" (Beautiful children love), and "{{Lang|de|Zu Koblenz auf der Brücken|italic=no}}" (In Koblenz on the bridge).
The best-known and most widely used lyrics to the melody were written by German preacher and collector of folk songs August Zarnack.Schmitz-Gropengiesser, Frauke.[http://www.liederlexikon.de/lieder/ich_hab_die_nacht_getraeumet "Ich hab die Nacht geträumet"]August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben. [https://books.google.com/books?id=2cAtAAAAYAAJ&dq=Zarnack&pg=PA78 Unsere volksthümlichen Lieder] Zarnack's version was originally published under the title "{{Lang|de|Der schwere Traum|italic=no}}" (The heavy dream), and appeared in Zarnack's 1820 book which was a collection of German folk songs intended for primary schools.Zarnach, August. [http://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN846668262&PHYSID=PHYS_0048&USE=800&DMDID=DMDLOG_0001 Deutsche Volkslieder mit Volksweisen für Volksschulen] (German folk songs for primary schools)Zarnach, August. [https://books.google.com/books?id=EIxWAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA2-PA52 Weisenbuch zu den Volksliedern für Volksschulen] Zarnack's textbook sold well, and in the 1840s and onwards, "Ich hab die Nacht geträumet" was increasingly included in other music workbooks as well for schools and choirs.
Lyrics
wohl einen schweren Traum, es wuchs in meinem Garten ein Rosmarienbaum. Ein Kirchhof war der Garten ein Blumenbeet das Grab, und von dem grünen Baume fiel Kron und Blüte ab. Die Blüten tät ich sammeln in einen goldnen Krug, der fiel mir aus den Händen, dass er in Stücken schlug. Draus sah ich Perlen rinnen und Tröpflein rosenrot: Was mag der Traum bedeuten? Ach Liebster, bist Du tot?|italic=no}} | It was such a worrisome dream, There was growing in my garden, A rosemary tree. A graveyard was the garden, A flowerbed the grave And from the green tree The crown and flower fell. The blossoms I gathered in a golden jar, It fell out of my hands, And smashed to pieces. Out of it I saw pearls trickling And droplets rose-red What could the dream mean? Oh, my love, are you dead? |
Musical settings
Johannes Brahms wrote a choral version of the song between 1859 and 1862.[http://www.klassika.info/Komponisten/Brahms/Chorwerk/WoO_036_04/index.html "Ich habe die Nacht geträumet"], Klassika. Max Reger published two versions for choir a cappella, in 1898 a setting for men's chorus choral (TTBB) as No. 5 of WoO VI/6,[https://www.universaledition.com/sheet-music-and-more/Ich-hab-die-Nacht-getraeumet-fuer-Chor-TTBB-Reger-Max-UE1441 Max Reger: "Ich hab' die Nacht geträumet" for ttbb choir – A minor] and in 1899 a setting for mixed choir as No. 4 of WoO VI/11.{{IMSLP|work=8 Ausgewählte Volkslieder (Reger, Max)|cname=8 Ausgewählte Volkslieder (Reger, Max): No. 4 – "Ich hab' die Nacht geträumet"}} In 2004, the German band Heimatærde released its first EP named after the song, including two versions of it.[https://www.discogs.com/it/Heimataerde-Ich-Hab-Die-Nacht-Getr%C3%A6umet/release/422266 Ich hab die Nacht getræumet] by Heimatærde, Discogs.com The 2016 video game Civilization VI uses four versions of the song as its theme for the German civilization.Civilization VI, [http://www.geoffknorr.com/civilization-vi-sheet-music/ich-hab-die-nacht-getrumet-germany-the-industrial-era-from-civilization-vi Soundtrack].
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.liederprojekt.org/lied29231.html Sheet music]
- [http://ingeb.org/Lieder/ichhabdi.html Text and MIDI version], ingeb.org
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