Der Mond ist aufgegangen facts for kids
"Der Mond ist aufgegangen" (which means "The moon has risen" in German) is a very famous German lullaby and evening song. It was written by Matthias Claudius and is one of the most loved poems in German literature. Sometimes, it's also called Abendlied (meaning "evening song"). This beautiful song first appeared in a book called Musen-Almanach in 1779. It was published by Johann Heinrich Voß. Later, in 1783, Claudius made a small change to the sixth verse when he published it again.
The song was inspired by an older poem from 1647 called "Nun ruhen alle Wälder" (meaning "Now all forests rest") by Paul Gerhardt. We're not exactly sure when Claudius wrote "Der Mond ist aufgegangen." Some people think it was written in 1778 in Hamburg-Wandsbek, while others believe it was written earlier in Darmstadt.
The Music and Its History
The melody that most people know for "Der Mond ist aufgegangen" was composed by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz. He published it in 1790 in his collection of songs called Lieder im Volkston, bey dem Claviere zu singen. This tune is still the most popular one today.
<score %vorbis="1"%%T257066%> \relative g' { \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"clarinet" \key f \major \partial 4 \time 4/4 \autoBeamOff { \override Score.BarNumber #'transparent = ##t f4 | g4 f4 bes4 a4 | g2 f4 a4 | a4 a4 d4 c4 | bes2 a4 \bar"" \break a4 | a4 a4 bes4 a4 | g2. f4 | g4 f4 bes4 a4 | g2 f4 \bar"" \break a4 | a4 a4 d4 c4 | bes2 a4 a4 | a4 a4 bes4 a4 | g4 g4 f4 \bar "|." }} \addlyrics { \tiny \set stanza = #"1. " Der Mond ist auf -- ge -- gan -- gen, die gold -- nen Stern -- lein pran -- gen am Him -- mel hell und klar, der Wald steht schwarz und schwei -- get und aus den Wie -- sen stei -- get der wei -ße Ne -- bel wun -- der -- bar. } </score>
Many other composers have also set the poem to music. Sometimes, you might even hear it sung to the tune of "Nun ruhen alle Wälder," which uses the melody of "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen" by Heinrich Isaac.
What the Song Is About
The poem "Der Mond ist aufgegangen" paints a peaceful picture of the evening. It describes the moon rising and the stars shining brightly in the sky. The forest is dark and quiet, and a wonderful white fog rises from the meadows.
The song talks about how calm and beautiful the world becomes at twilight. It's like a quiet room where you can forget all the worries of the day and just rest. It also makes you think about things you can't always see. Just like the moon might look half, but it's still round and whole.
The poem reminds us that humans can be proud and sometimes don't know much. It encourages us to be humble and simple, like children. It asks for God's help to see what's truly important and to live a happy, good life. Finally, it's a prayer for a peaceful end to life and to go to heaven. It also asks for a good night's sleep for everyone, including our sick neighbors.
