
Read in English · with German
Read Carmilla in English, with German beside it
by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu · 1814–1873
"Carmilla" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu is a Gothic novella published in 1872. A foundational work of vampire literature that predated "Dracula" by 25 years, it tells the story of young Laura, who lives in an isolated Austrian castle. When the enigmatic Carmilla arrives after a carriage accident, the two girls form an intense friendship marked by romantic advances and unsettling mysteries. As young women in nearby towns begin dying from an unknown illness, Laura experiences disturbing nightmares and her health mysteriously declines.
Summary generated automatically by Project Gutenberg.
- Read time
- 128 min
- Words
- 28,103
- Chapters
- 1
- Paragraphs
- 674
- Price
- Free
- Vampires -- Fiction
- Young women -- Fiction
Our visitor lay in one of the handsomest rooms in the schloss.
Unsere Besucherin lag in einem der schönsten Zimmer des Schlosses.
It was, perhaps, a little stately.
Es war vielleicht ein wenig feierlich.
There was a somber piece of tapestry opposite the foot of the bed, representing Cleopatra with the asps to her bosom; and other solemn classic scenes were displayed, a little faded, upon the other walls.
Gegenüber dem Fußende des Bettes hing ein düsteres Wandteppichstück, das Kleopatra mit den Aspis an ihrer Brust darstellte; und andere feierliche klassische Szenen waren, etwas verblasst, an den anderen Wänden zu sehen.
But there was gold carving, and rich and varied color enough in the other decorations of the room, to more than redeem the gloom of the old tapestry.
Aber es gab Goldschnitzereien und reichlich und abwechslungsreiche Farben in den anderen Dekorationen des Zimmers, um die Schwere des alten Wandteppichs mehr als wettzumachen.
There were candles at the bedside.
Es gab Kerzen am Bett.
She was sitting up; her slender pretty figure enveloped in the soft silk dressing gown, embroidered with flowers, and lined with thick quilted silk, which her mother had thrown over her feet as she lay upon the ground.
Sie saß aufrecht; ihre schlanke, hübsche Gestalt war in den weiden Seidenbademantel gehüllt, mit Blumen bestickt und mit dicker, gesteppter Seide gefüttert, den ihre Mutter über ihre Füße geworfen hatte, als sie auf dem Boden lag.
What was it that, as I reached the bedside and had just begun my little greeting, struck me dumb in a moment, and made me recoil a step or two from before her?
Was war es, das, als ich das Bett erreichte und gerade meinen kleinen Gruß begann, mich in einem Augenblick stumm machte und mich einen oder zwei Schritte zurückweichen ließ?
I will tell you.
Ich werde es Ihnen erzählen.
I saw the very face which had visited me in my childhood at night, which remained so fixed in my memory, and on which I had for so many years so often ruminated with horror,
Ich sah das gleiche Gesicht, das mich in meiner Kindheit nachts besucht hatte, das so fest in meinem Gedächtnis verblieben war, und an dem ich so viele Jahre lang so oft mit Entsetzen nachgesonnen hatte,
when no one suspected of what I was thinking.
wenn niemand ahnte, woran ich dachte.
It was pretty, even beautiful; and when I first beheld it, wore the same melancholy expression.
Es war hübsch, sogar schön; und als ich es zum ersten Mal erblickte, trug es denselben melancholischen Ausdruck.
About the author

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu1814–1873
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814–1873) was an Irish writer, journalist, and newspaper proprietor born in Dublin.
The Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu page, and where to start →Questions about Carmilla
Can I read Carmilla in English with German side by side online?
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There is no set level. Carmilla runs to 28,103 words, and the translation sits beside it, aligned phrase by phrase, so you can start below the level the original would need on its own and lean on the translation only where you stumble.
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Yes. The text is in the public domain, and the translation and alignment are ours to give. A free account opens the whole book; the paid tier is for unlimited explanations.
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How long does Carmilla take to read?
About 2 hours at a normal pace, longer if you stop to look at the alignment, which is rather the point.
Book details
- Original language
- English
- Translation
- German, machine translation
- Source text
- Project Gutenberg #10007
- Licence
- Public domain worldwide
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