by David Thomson (flourished c1812)
Translation Singable translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870)

When eve's last rays in twilight die
Language: English 
When eve's last rays in twilight die
And stars are seen along the sky,
On Liffy's banks I stray;
And there with fond I regret I gaze,
Where oft I've pass'd the fleeting days
With her that's far away.

When she would sing some lovely strain,
How sweet the echoes gave again
In fainter notes the lay;
Tho' mute the echoes of the grove,
In fancy still I hear my love.
Though now she's far away.

Her from the stream reflected clear,
And still it seem'd, when she was near,
To move with fond delay;
But though its wave no trace retains,
Her image in my heart remains,
Tho' now she's far away.

Text Authorship:

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

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

  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Wenn Tages letzte Strahlen fliehn"


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2005-01-12
Line count: 18
Word count: 113

Wenn Tages letzte Strahlen fliehn
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Wenn Tages letzte Strahlen fliehn
Und droben Stern auf Stern erschien,
Schweif'ich an Liffys Strand.
Dort weilt mein Blick in Traurigkeit,
Wo mir so pfeilschnell oft die Zeit
Mit ihr, die fern jetzt, schwand.

Wenn sie ein holdes Liedchen sang,
Wie lieblich drang der Widerklang
In sanftrem Ton zu mir;
Ob Zeit das Echo längst vertrieb,
Doch hör'im Geist ich noch mein Lieb',
Ob fern es weilt von hier.

Ihr Bild, vom Strom gespiegelt klar,
Schien oftmals, wenn sie nahe war,
Zögernd zu flieh'n vor ihr;
Ist auch ihr Bild im Strom verzischt 
Im Herzen bleibt mir's unverwischt,
Ob fern sie weilt von hier.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2005-01-12
Line count: 18
Word count: 104