The yellow foliage trembles

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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

An Kitty

(Sung text for setting by W. Goethe)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT CHI ENG ENG FRE

Der Herbst ist angekommen, 
Es fallen die Blätter herab; 
Und Alles was lebt und blühet, 
Das muss einmal in's Grab. 

Die Wipfel des Waldes umflimmert 
Ein schmerzlicher Sonnenschein; 
Das mögen die letzten Küsse 
Des sterbenden Sommers seyn.

Mir ist, als müßt ich weinen 
Aus tiefster Seele Grund; 
Diese Sonne thut mich mahnen
An unsre Abschiedsstund'. 

Du musstest mich verlassen, 
Und wußte, du stürbest bald; 
Du warst der scheidende Sommer, 
Ich bin der sterbende Wald.

Composition:

Walther von Goethe

Die Meermaid, Frage, An Kitty, Trennung

Text Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Nachgelesene Gedichte 1828-1844 , no. 8

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (John H. Campbell) , "The yellow foliage trembles", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "Parting"
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 83

To Kitty

(Sung text translation for setting by W. Goethe)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Add this translation to the Basket | Add tr by W. Goethe

Autumn has come,
The leaves fall;
And everything that lives and blooms, 
It must someday descend into the grave.

Around the treetops in the forest
A painful sunshine flickers;
That might well be the last kisses
Of the dying summer.

I feel as if I must weep
From the deepest depths of my soul;
This sun reminds me
Of the hour of our parting.

 You had to leave me,
And knew that you would soon die;
You were the departing summer,
I am the dying forest.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Nachgelesene Gedichte 1828-1844 , no. 8
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This text was added to the website: 2025-11-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 98