Brahms's Lullaby

Cradle Song is the common name for a number of children's lullabies with similar lyrics, the original of which was Johannes Brahms's Wiegenlied: Guten Abend, gute Nacht ("Good evening, good night"), Op. 49, No. 4, published in 1868 and widely known as Brahms's Lullaby. The lyrics of the first verse are from a collection of German folk poems called Des Knaben Wunderhorn and the second stanza was written by Georg Scherer (1824–1909) in 1849. The lullaby's melody is one of the most famous and recognizable in the world, used by countless parents to sing their babies to sleep.^{[citation needed]} The Lullaby was first sung by Brahms's friend, Bertha Faber, as the piece had been written to celebrate the birth of her son. Brahms had been in love with her in her youth and constructed the melody of the Wiegenlied to suggest, as a hidden countermelody, a song she used to sing to him.

Lyrics

Guten Abend, gute Nacht, mit Rosen bedacht, mit Näglein besteckt, schlupf′ unter die Deck! Morgen früh, wenns Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt. Guten Abend, gute Nacht, von Englein bewacht, die zeigen im Traum dir Christkindleins Baum. Schlaf nun selig und süß, schau im Traum ′s Paradies.

Good evening, good night, With roses adorned, With carnations covered, Slip under the covers. Tomorrow morning, if God wants so, you will wake once again. Good evening, good night. By angels watched, Who show you in your dream the Christ-child′s tree. Sleep now peacefully and sweetly, see the paradise in your dream.

Lullaby and good night, With roses bedight, With lilies o'er spread Is baby's wee bed. Lay thee down now and rest, May thy slumber be blessed. Lullaby and good night, Thy mother's delight, Bright angels beside My darling abide. They will guard thee at rest, Thou shalt wake on my breast.

Brahms's Lullaby is also commonly sung to the Hebrew words of Jacob's blessing to his grandchildren, Ephraim and Menashe, in Genesis 48:16.[1]^{[citation needed]} This blessing is incorporated into the "Bedtime Shema" and has thus become a popular Jewish Lullaby (Hamalach hagoel oti...).[2]

Arrangements

In 1922, Australian pianist and composer Percy Grainger arranged the Wiegenlied as one of his "Free Settings of Favorite Melodies" for solo piano. This study was characterized by much use of suspensions and arpeggiation, with the first statement of the melody placed in the tenor range of the keyboard. This last practice was a favorite one of Grainger.

Bibliography

• Ould, Barry Peter, Notes for Hyperion CDA67279, Percy Grainger: Rambles and Reflections – Piano Transcriptions, Piers Lane, piano.

External links

• Sheet music for Brahms' Lullaby (Wiegenlied)
• J. Brahms: 5 Songs, Op. 49: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
• Tune with more lyrical versions of the lullaby
• Another website with lyrics
• Text of the Wiegenlied at Recmusic.org
• Text of original verse as "Gute Nacht, mein Kind!" in Des Knaben Wunderhorn at Google Books.