Herbstabend | Wie trüb die Welt, ermattet, welk und tot!

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by Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804 - 1877)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Höstkvällen

Language: Swedish (Svenska)

Our translations: FRE GER

Hur blekt är allt, hur härjat, vissnat, dött!
Var är den blomning nu, som sommarn fött?
I dalen domnar allt, i skogen tiges,
Och till en grav den skumma jorden viges.

Dock, ögat lyftes sällt från graven opp,
En högre verld har grytt för hjertats hopp,
I jordens skymning klarna stjernelanden,
Och oförgängligt ler ett hem mot anden.

Så drömmer jag i höstens kväll och ser
Hur lövet faller stelt från björken ner,
En naken strand i vikens djup sig speglar,
Och över månen silvermolnet seglar.

Text Authorship:

by Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804 - 1877), "Höstkvällen", 1838, from Dikter. Tredje Häftet, first published 1843 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Erik Fritiof Fordell (1917 - 1981), "Höstkvällen", 1975 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Adolf Fredrik Lindblad (1801 - 1878), "Höstkvällen", c1847 [ voice and piano ], from Sånger och Visor vid Pianoforte. 4:de delen, no. 86 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Erkki Gustaf Melartin (1875 - 1937), "Höstkvällen", op. 170 no. 2 (1931) [ voice and piano ], from 3 Runeberg-sånge = Three Runeberg songs, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957), "Höstkvällen", JS 96 (1888) [ mixed chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Soir d'automne", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Herbstabend", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 86

Herbstabend

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Swedish (Svenska)

Wie trüb die Welt, ermattet, welk und tot!
Wo ist des Sommers Blühn, das er uns bot?
Das Tal liegt fahl und matt, die Wälder schweigen,
der Dämmerwelt wird Grabesdunkel eigen.

Doch schwingt das Aug beglückt sich auf vom Grab.
Dem Herzen bildet höh’re Welt sich ab.
Die Sterne sind der Dämmrung Abendsegen,
und ew’ge Heimat strahlt dem Geist entgegen.

So träum am Herbstesabend ich und schau,        
wie von der Birke starr fällt ab das Laub.
Verlassner Strand in tiefer Bucht sich spiegelt,
und vor dem Mond ein Silberwölkchen segelt.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Swedish (Svenska) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2017 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Swedish (Svenska) by Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804 - 1877), "Höstkvällen", 1838, from Dikter. Tredje Häftet, first published 1843
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-05-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 90