Document Key:
First Line: German Texts
2nd Line: Pronunciation
3rd Line: “English Translations”
Key Consonant Sounds: Certain consonant sound are created differently in German.
- ts is pronounced like in the word “gets”
- sh is pronounced like in the word “shush”
- ckt is pronounced with a glottal back of the throat air passage followed by a kt sound. Example: Pra(air)kt.
Key Vowel Sounds: There are long, short and umlauted vowels that are to be sung in German.
Long & Short Vowels
- aah is pronounced like the word “father”
- au is pronounced like the word “out”
- {A} is pronounced like the word in “vein”
- eh is pronounced like the word in “bet”
- ee is pronounced like the word in “see”
- ih is pronounced like the word in “winter”
- {I} is pronounced like the word in “climb”
- {O} is pronounced like the word in “mope”
- oo is pronounced like the word in “moon”
- oh is pronounced like the word in “push”
- uh is pronounced like the word in “gonna”
- œ is pronounced like the vowel in “turn” but with pursed lips
O schöne Nacht!
Oh shœh-nuh nahkt!
“Oh beautiful night!”
Am Himmel märchenhaft Erglänzt der Mond in seiner ganzen Pracht;
ahm hihm-mehl m{A}hr-shehn-hahft ehr-gl{A}nts dehr mohnd een z{I}ner gahn-tsehn prah-ckt;
“The moon is fabulously shining in its complete splendor in the sky;”
Um ihn der kleinen Sterne liebliche Genossenschaft.
oom een dehr kl{I}n-ehn shtehr-nuh lee-blih-cheh gehn-ahs-sehn-shahft.
“around it, sweet company of little stars.”
O schöne Nacht!
Oh shœh-nuh nahkt!
“Oh beautiful night!”
Es schimmert hell der Tau Am grünen Halm;
Ehs shihm-mehrt hehl dehr tauh grœh-nehn hahlm;
“The dew is shimmering brightly on the green blades of grass;”
Im Fliederbusche schlägt die Nachtigall;
Ihm flee-dehr-buh-scheh schl{A}cht dee nahcht-ih-gahl;
“the nightingale sings ardently in the lilac bush;”
Der Knabe schleicht zu seiner Liebsten sacht –
Dehr knah-beh schl{I}cht tsoo z{I}ner leeb-stehn sahcht –
“and the boy steals softly to his lover -“
O schöne Nacht!
Oh shœh-nuh nahkt!
“Oh beautiful night!”