Who sings the song sleep my joy sleep. The story of one lullaby

James Sant: "The artist's wife Elisabeth, and their daughter Maria Edith"

What is the most famous lullaby in the world? Of course this one:

Sleep, my joy, sleep!

The lights went out in the house.

The bees are quiet in the garden

The fish fell asleep in the pond

The moon shines in the sky

The moon looks out the window...

Close your eyes rather

Sleep, my joy, sleep.

Who does not know the gentle and harmonious lullaby "Sleep, my joy, sleep." The melody is so comfortable for the voice that it has received the widest circulation in its more than 200 years of history. Almost everyone now knows the words to this lullaby. And until recently, most publishers of sheet music and performers were sure that this music was V.A. Mozart. But actually it is not!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)

In 1825, Mozart's widow Constance sent this lullaby to the publisher of Mozart's compositions, noting: "The work is lovely, in all respects Mozartian, direct, inventive." Three years later, the lullaby "Sleep my joy, sleep" was published as an appendix to the biography of Mozart, which Constance wrote with her second husband Georg von Nissen. Since that time, "Mozart's lullaby" was included in the collections of his works, and the German poet Matthias Claudius (1740-1815) was indicated as the author of the text.

Constanza Weber, Mozart's wife from 1782

However, Mozart's sister Nannerl did not confirm the version of her brother's authorship, and Constance herself eventually doubted this. There were musicologists who argued that the music of the lullaby is not like Mozart's: it is too simple and unpretentious; even the simplest songs of Mozart are more complex.

Maria Anna Walburga Ignatius Mozart (1751-1829) is the elder sister of Wolfgang Amadeus. In the family circle and among friends, Maria Anna was called Nannerl.

The words of the lullaby "Sleep my joy, sleep" belong to Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter (1746-1797). They are taken from his play "Esther", staged in Leipzig in 1795. This play was a modern adaptation of the biblical Book of Esther, and the lullaby was sung by the choir of Esther's servants. Note that in the original the song begins with the words "Sleep, my prince", and ends with: "Sleep, my prince, sleep." French translation: "Sleep, my little prince."

In Nazi Germany, they returned to the old version of the authorship of Mozart. The musicologist Herbert Gehrigk, publisher of the Nazi party magazine Music at War, stated in the April/May 1944 issue of his magazine that the version of Flies's authorship was nothing more than a "monstrous falsification" needed by the "Jew Max Friedländer" to take away the authorship of the lullaby from the Aryans.

Not so long ago, another contender for authorship was discovered - the German composer Johann Fleischmann, who died in 1798 at the age of 32. Fleischmann arranged several Mozart operas for wind instruments, and in 1796 he published music for Gotter's lullaby, the beginning of which almost coincides with the music of Flies.

The Russian translation of the lullaby appeared very late - in 1924. It belonged to Sofia Sviridenko (born in 1882, year of death unknown).

William Bouguereau "A Young Mother Looks at a Sleeping Child"

Sleep, my joy, sleep!

The lights went out in the house;

The bees are quiet in the garden

The fish fell asleep in the pond

The moon shines in the sky

The moon looks out the window...

Close your eyes rather

Sleep, my joy, sleep!

Sleep, sleep!

Everything in the house was quiet for a long time,

In the cellar, in the kitchen it's dark,

No door creaks

The mouse is sleeping behind the stove.

Someone sighed behind the wall -

What do we care, dear?

Close your eyes rather

Sleep, my joy, sleep!

Sleep, sleep!

Sweetly my chick lives:

There are no worries, no worries;

Plenty of toys, sweets,

Lots of fun stuff.

Hurry up to get everything

If only the baby did not cry!

May it be like this all day long!

Sleep, my joy, sleep!

Sleep, sleep!

Music by Bernhard Flies

Words by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter

Translation by Sofia Sviridenko

In the first publication, the lullaby began with the line "Sleep, my prince, sleep" - exactly according to the German text - and the line "Sleep, my joy, sleep" was repeated three times in the conclusion. In the second edition of the translation (1925), the lullaby began with the words "Sleep, my beloved, sleep." But very soon it began to be performed with the first line "Sleep, my joy, sleep" - apparently, without any participation of the translator.

In 1932, another translation appeared - Vsevolod Rozhdestvensky: “Sleep, my son, without worries”, (...) / Sleep, my dear son.” But this translation did not take root with us and sunk into oblivion.

Sviridenko's translation is quite close to the original. But his most famous line - "Sleep, my joy, sleep" - does not belong to Gotter or Sofia Sviridenko. It is taken from the "Lullaby" by Konstantin Balmont, published in his collection "Under the Northern Sky" (1894) and extremely popular at the beginning of the 20th century:

Konstantin Dmitrievich Balmont (1867 - 1942)

Fragrant linden flowers are blooming...

Sleep, my joy, sleep!

The night will envelop us in gentle twilight,

Lights will be lit in the distant sky,

The wind will whisper mysteriously about something,

And we will forget the past days

And we will forget the torment to come...

Sleep, my joy, sleep!

(...)

Oh my swallow, oh my baby

In the cold world with you we are alone

We will share joy and sorrow equally,

Cling closer to a reliable heart,

We won't change, we won't break up

We will be together night and day.

Let's calm down together with you...

Sleep, my joy, sleep!

(Konstantin Balmont)

Leon Emil Keil "Caring Mother"

Three years later, the lullaby was printed as an appendix to Mozart's biography, which Constance wrote with her second husband, Georg von Nissen. Since that time, "Mozart's lullaby" was included in the collections of his works, and the German poet Matthias Claudius (1740-1815) was indicated as the author of the text.

And at the end of the 19th century, the German musicologist Max Friedländer established that the music for the lullaby was written and published in 1796 by Bernhard Flies, a Berlin doctor and amateur composer.

All that is known about Flies is that he was born around 1770 into a family of Jewish merchants, was baptized in 1798, and on March 18, 1791, organized a charity concert in memory of Mozart in Berlin. The words of the lullaby belong to Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter (1746-1797). They are taken from his play Esther, staged in Leipzig in 1795. This play was a modern adaptation of the biblical Book of Esther, and the lullaby was performed by the choir of Esther's servants.

Note that in the original the song begins with the words "Sleep, my prince", and ends with: "Sleep, my prince, sleep." French translation: "Sleep, my little prince." Isn't that where Antoine Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince came from?

In Nazi Germany, they returned to the old version of the authorship of Mozart. The musicologist Herbert Gehrigk, publisher of the Nazi party magazine Music at War, stated in the April-May 1944 issue of his magazine that the version of Flies's authorship was nothing more than a "monstrous falsification" that it took "the Jew Max Friedländer" to take away the Aryans have the authorship of a lullaby.

Not so long ago, another contender for authorship was discovered - the German composer Johann Fleischmann, who died in 1798 at the age of 32. Fleischmann arranged several Mozart operas for wind instruments, and in 1796 he published music for Gottter's lullaby, the beginning of which almost coincides with the music of Flies.

The Russian translation of the lullaby appeared very late, in 1924. It belonged to Sofia Sviridenko (born in 1882, year of death unknown). In the first publication, the lullaby began with the line "Sleep, my prince, sleep" - exactly according to the German text - and the line "Sleep, my joy, sleep" was repeated three times in the conclusion. In the second edition of the translation (1925), the lullaby began with the words "Sleep, my beloved, sleep." But very soon it began to be performed with the first line "Sleep, my joy, sleep" - apparently, without any participation of the translator.

In 1932, another translation appeared - Vsevolod Rozhdestvensky: “Sleep, my son, without worries”, (...) / Sleep, my son, dear. But this translation did not take root with us and sunk into oblivion.

Fragrant linden flowers are blooming...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!
The night will envelop us in gentle twilight,
Lights will light up in the distant sky, The wind will whisper mysteriously about something,
And we will forget the past days
And we will forget the torment to come...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!
(...)
Oh my swallow, oh my baby
In the cold world with you we are alone
We will share joy and sorrow equally,
Cling closer to a reliable heart,
We won't change, we won't break up
We will be together night and day.
Let's calm down together with you...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!

LULLABY

Music by Bernhard Flies
Words by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter
Translation by Sofia Sviridenko

Sleep, my joy, sleep!
The lights went out in the house;
The bees are quiet in the garden
The fish fell asleep in the pond
The moon shines in the sky
The moon looks out the window...
Close your eyes rather
Sleep, my joy, sleep!
Sleep, sleep!

Everything in the house was quiet for a long time,
In the cellar, in the kitchen it's dark,
No door creaks
The mouse is sleeping behind the stove.
Someone sighed behind the wall -
What do we care, dear?
Close your eyes rather
Sleep, my joy, sleep!
Sleep, sleep!

Sweetly my chick lives:
There are no worries, no worries;
Plenty of toys, sweets,
Lots of fun stuff.
Hurry up to get everything
If only the baby did not cry!
May it be like this all day long!
Sleep, my joy, sleep!
Sleep, sleep!

Songs of our childhood / Comp. M.V. Vasiliev. 2nd ed. Chelyabinsk: Arkaim, 2004.

Regina G.S., Alekseev V.A. Travel to the country "Music". Musical education of six-year-old children. Perm: Perm State Pedagogical Institute; small enterprise "BONUS", 1991. - Mozart is erroneously identified as the author of the music.

The song's music is often attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

SLEEP, MY JOY, SLEEP

Konstantin Dushenko

Magazine "Reading Together", 2009, No. 10, October. The text is given from the personal site of Konstantin Dushenko.

What is the most famous lullaby in the world? Of course this one:

Sleep, my joy, sleep!
The lights went out in the house.
The bees are quiet in the garden
The fish fell asleep in the pond
The moon shines in the sky
The moon looks out the window...
Close your eyes rather
Sleep, my joy, sleep.

In 1825, Mozart's widow Constance sent this lullaby to the publisher of Mozart's compositions, noting: "The work is lovely, in all respects Mozartian, direct, inventive." Three years later, the lullaby was printed as an appendix to Mozart's biography, which Constance wrote with her second husband, Georg von Nissen. Since that time, "Mozart's lullaby" was included in the collections of his works, and the German poet Matthias Claudius (1740-1815) was indicated as the author of the text.

And at the end of the XIX century. the German musicologist Max Friedländer established that the music for the lullaby was written and published in 1796 by Bernhard Flies, a Berlin physician and amateur composer. All that is known about Flies is that he was born around 1770 into a family of Jewish merchants, baptized in 1798, and on March 18, 1791, he organized a charity concert in memory of Mozart in Berlin. The words of the lullaby belong to Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter (1746-1797). They are taken from his play "Esther", staged in Leipzig in 1795. This play was a modern adaptation of the biblical Book of Esther, and the lullaby was sung by the choir of Esther's servants. Note that in the original the song begins with the words "Sleep, my prince", and ends with: "Sleep, my prince, sleep." French translation: "Sleep, my little prince." Isn't that where Antoine Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince came from?

The Russian translation of the lullaby appeared very late - in 1924. It belonged to Sofia Sviridenko (born in 1882, year of death unknown). In the first publication, the lullaby began with the line "Sleep, my prince, sleep" - exactly according to the German text - and the line "Sleep, my joy, sleep" was repeated three times in the conclusion. In the second edition of the translation (1925), the lullaby began with the words "Sleep, my beloved, sleep." But very soon it began to be performed with the first line "Sleep, my joy, sleep" - apparently, without any participation of the translator.

Fragrant linden flowers are blooming...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!
The night will envelop us in gentle twilight,
Lights will be lit in the distant sky,

The wind will whisper mysteriously about something,
And we will forget the past days
And we will forget the torment to come...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!
(...)
Oh my swallow, oh my baby
In the cold world with you we are alone
We will share joy and sorrow equally,
Cling closer to a reliable heart,

We won't change, we won't break up
We will be together night and day.
Let's calm down together with you...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!

Sleep, my joy, sleep

What is the most famous lullaby in the world? Of course this one:

In 1825, Mozart's widow Constance sent this lullaby to the publisher of Mozart's compositions, noting: "The work is lovely, in all respects Mozartian, direct, inventive." Three years later, the lullaby was printed as an appendix to Mozart's biography, which Constance wrote with her second husband, Georg von Nissen. Since that time, "Mozart's lullaby" was included in the collections of his works, and the German poet Matthias Claudius (1740-1815) was indicated as the author of the text.

In Nazi Germany, they returned to the old version of the authorship of Mozart. The musicologist Herbert Gehrigk, publisher of the Nazi party magazine Music at War, stated in the April-May 1944 issue of his magazine that the version of Flies' authorship was nothing more than a "monstrous falsification" needed by the "Jew Max Friedländer" to take away the authorship of the lullaby from the Aryans.

Not so long ago, another contender for authorship was discovered - the German composer Johann Fleischmann, who died in 1798 at the age of 32. Fleischmann arranged several Mozart operas for wind instruments, and in 1796 he published music for Gottter's lullaby, the beginning of which almost coincides with the music of Flies.

The Russian translation of the lullaby appeared very late - in 1924. It belonged to Sophia Sviridenko (born in 1882, year of death unknown). In the first publication, the lullaby began with the line "Sleep, my prince, sleep" - exactly according to the German text - and the line "Sleep, my joy, sleep" was repeated three times in the conclusion. In the second edition of the translation (1925), the lullaby began with the words "Sleep, my beloved, sleep." But very soon it began to be performed with the first line "Sleep, my joy, sleep" - apparently, without any participation of the translator.

In 1932, another translation appeared - Vsevolod Rozhdestvensky: "Sleep, my son, without worries", (...) / Sleep, my dear son. But this translation did not take root with us and sunk into oblivion.

Fragrant linden flowers are blooming...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!

The night will envelop us in gentle twilight,
Lights will light up in the distant sky, The wind will whisper mysteriously about something,
And we will forget the past days
And we will forget the torment to come...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!
(...)
Oh my swallow, oh my baby
In the cold world with you we are alone
We will share joy and sorrow equally,
Cling closer to a reliable heart,

We won't change, we won't break up
We will be together night and day.
Let's calm down together with you...
Sleep, my joy, sleep!

A gentle, melodic lullaby, known to everyone since childhood and translated into dozens of languages, was written in the distant 18th century. Traditionally, it is called Mozart's lullaby, and indeed this musical composition was first published as part of a collection of works by the great Austrian composer. And only 100 years later, the German musicologist Max Frandländer was able to establish that the author of the famous lullaby was an amateur composer Bernhard Flies. And the original text German written by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter.

The Russian version of the lullaby "Sleep, my joy, sleep" appeared only in 1924. It was written by the St. Petersburg poetess Sofia Sviridenko. Interestingly, in the first edition, the song began with the words "Sleep, my prince, sleep." Listen to the lullaby "Sleep, my joy, sleep" on different languages and in various versions online or download it for free from our website.