Des Abendsterns ersehnter Schein
Beglänzt den Saum der Flut,
Der Knabe zieht den Kahn herein,
Der [still im]1 Hafen ruht.
"Mein Tagewerk ist [treu]2 vollbracht,
Doch, liebe Seele, sprich,
O sprich, wie soll die lange Nacht
Vergehn mir ohne dich?"
Am Ufer steht ein Weidenbaum
Und dran gelehnt ein Stein,
[Darunter]3 liegt in schmalem Raum
Ihr kaltes Totenbein.
J. Lang sets stanza 1
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1 Lang: "in dem"
2 Burgmüller: "nun"
3 Burgmüller: "Und drunter"
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):
- by (August Joseph) Norbert Burgmüller (1810 - 1836), "Fischerknabe", op. 3 (Sechs Gesänge von Uhland, Goethe, Heine, Platen) no. 5 (1827-36?), published 1838 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Hofmeister [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Friedrich von Kerstorf , "Fischerknabe ", published 1874 [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf deutsche Lieder, für 1 Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 5, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Des Abendsterns ersehnter Schein", stanza 1 [ voice and piano ], unpublished, undated, incomplete [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Leo Schrattenholz , "Fischerknabe", op. 5 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1895 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Ries & Erler [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Julius August) Philipp Spitta (1841 - 1894), "Fischerknabe", op. 1 (Sechs Lieder) no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Fisher lad", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Claus-Christian Schuster
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 58
The longed-for gleam of the evening star
Shines upon the margin of the floodwaters,
The lad pulls in the boat
That [lies quietly]1 in the harbour.
"My day's work is [faithfully]2 completed,
But, dear soul, tell me,
Oh tell me, how shall the long night
Pass for me without you?"
On the shore stands a willow tree
And leaning against it a stone,
[Below]3 it lie in a narrow space
Her cold dead bones.