Die Jungfrau schläft in der Kammer

Die Jungfrau schläft in der Kammer,
der Mond schaut zitternd hinein;
da draußen singt es und klingt es,
wie Walzermelodein.

"Ich will mal schaun aus dem Fenster,
wer drunten stört meine Ruh."
Da steht ein Totengerippe,
und fiedelt und singt dazu:

"Hast einst mir den Tanz versprochen,
und hast gebrochen dein Wort,
und heut ist Ball auf dem Kirchhof,
komm mit, wir tanzen dort."

Die Jungfrau ergreift es gewaltig,
es lockt sie hervor aus dem Haus;
sie folgt dem Gerippe, das singend
und fiedelnd schreitet voraus.

Es fiedelt und tänzelt und hüpfet,
und klappert mit seinem Gebein,
und nickt und nickt mit dem Schädel
unheimlich im Mondenschein.

by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) , no title, from Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 22

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Karl Oskar Alwin (1891-1945) , "Nachtstück", from Sechs Lieder, no. 6.
by Franz Blumenberg (1869-1940) , "Der Totentanz", op. 158.
by Hermann Drechsler (1861-1935) , "Die Jungfrau schläft in der Kammer", op. 20. [voice, piano, and violin]
by L. Engel , "Die Jungfrau schläft in der Kammer"
by Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich (1850-1900) , "Die Jungfrau schläft", H. 227 no. 6 (1876) [voice and orchestra], from Neue Lieder, no. 6.
by Sigismund Goldschmidt (1815-1877) , "Der todte Tänzer: Gedicht von H. Heine", op. 1, published 1840? [bass or baritone and piano]
by Ernst Kölz , "Todtentanz", published c1987, from Todtenkranz : Lieder im Volkston, no. 4.
by Franz Paul Lachner (1803-1890) , "Der Ball auf dem Kirchhofe", op. 34 (Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Heinrich Heine) no. 1. [voice, piano, and violoncello (or flute, violin, or horn)]
by Richard Levitt , "Gerippentanz", published 1914.
by E. van der Leyen , "Die Jungfrau schläft in der Kammer", op. 2 (Lieder) no. 7.
by Moses Pergament (1893-1977) , "Die Jungfrau", published 1945.
by N. Potolovskii , "Das Totengerippe", op. 5 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2, note: also set in Russian
by Alfred Reisenauer (1863-1907) , "Die Jungfrau schläft in der Kammer", from Sechs Gedichte, no. 2.
by Anton Rückauf (1855-1903) , "Die Jungfrau schläft in der Kammer", op. 14 (Sieben Lieder) no. 5.
by L. Sadler , "Die Jungfrau schläft in der Kammer", op. 1 (Fünf Gesänge) no. 4.
by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803-1883) , "Der Tänzer", op. 7 (Balladen, Romanzen und Lieder) no. 3, published 1851.
by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803-1883) , "Der tote Tänzer", alternate title: "Der Tanz", published 1851, from Die Heimkehr : 88 Gedichte aus H. Heine's Reisebildern, no. 22.

by William Gardiner Hammond (1874-1945) , "Ballad of the bony fiddler", published 1906.

by Max Heinrich (1853-1916) , "The bony fiddler", published 1913 [voice, piano, and violin], from Three songs, no. 1.

FRE French (Pierre Mathé)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Ballad of the bony fiddler

The maiden sleeps in her chamber,
   Where the trembling moonbeams glance,
Without there singeth and ringeth
   The melody of a dance.

"I will look just once from the window,
   To see who breaks my rest."
A skeleton fiddles before her,
   And sings like one possessed.

"To dance with me you promised,
   And you have broken your vow.
To-night is a ball in the churchyard,
   Come out and dance with me now."

The music bewitches the maiden;
   Forth from her home doth she go;
She follows the bony fiddler,
   Who sings as he scrapes his bow.

He fiddles, and hops and dances,
   And rattles his bones as he plays;
His skull nods grimly and strangely,
   In the clear moonlight's ray.

by Emma Lazarus (1849-1887) , from Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine

a text in German by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) , no title, from Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 22 FRE

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by William Gardiner Hammond (1874-1945) , "Ballad of the bony fiddler", published 1906.

Date added to the website: 2008-02-18.