It is a melancholic song that tells of a disturbing dream foreshadowing death – a rosemary tree in the garden, falling leaves, and a jar broken to pieces and bleeding a red liquid.

It is unknown when the song was first popularized, but the melody was first written and published in 1777 by Friedrich Nicolai in Eyn feyner kleyner Almanach with the text of "Es wollt ein Jäger jagen" (A hunter wanted to go hunting).

[4][5] Zarnack's textbook sold well, and in the 1840s and onwards, "Ich hab die Nacht geträumet" was increasingly included in other music workbooks as well for schools and choirs.

[2] Ich hab die Nacht geträumet wohl einen schweren Traum, es wuchs in meinem Garten ein Rosmarienbaum.

Die Blüten tät ich sammeln in einen goldnen Krug, der fiel mir aus den Händen, dass er in Stücken schlug.