Brahms – Nachtwache No. 1 (1889)

The text for this song for choir is by Friedrich Rückert, whose works were used by Schubert, the Schumanns, Strauss, Wolf, Mahler and others. As part of his interest in historical music forms (he was a huge fan of Handel for a start), he looked at madrigals and motets of the Renaissance to inform his composition toolkit.

This setting was published in 1889, and speaks of gentle love:

Leise Töne der Brust,

Geweckt vom Odem der Liebe,

Hauchet zitternd hinaus,

Ob sich euch öffen ein Ohr,

öff’n ein liebendes Herz,

und wenn sich keines euch öffnet,

trag ein Nachtwind euch seufzend in meines zurück.