Purpur malt die Tannenhügel
Nach der Sonne Scheideblick,
Lieblich stralt des Baches Spiegel
Hespers [Fackelglanz]1 zurück.

Wie in Todtenhallen düster
Wirds im Pappelweidenhain,
Unter leisem Blattgeflüster
Schlummern alle Vögel ein.

Nur dein Abendlied, o Grille!
Tönt noch, aus bethautem Grün,
Durch der Dämmrung [Zauberhülle]2
Süße Trauermelodien.

Tönst du einst im Abendhauche,
Grillchen, auf mein frühes Grab,
Aus der Freundschaft Rosenstrauche
Deinen Klaggesang herab:

Wird [mein Geist noch stets]3 dir lauschen,
Horchend wie er jetzt dir lauscht,
Durch des Hügels [Blumen rauschen]4,
Wie dies Sommerlüftchen rauscht!

E. Zumsteeg sets stanzas 1, 4-5

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Friedrich von Matthisson. Erster Theil. Tübingen, bei Cotta, 1811, pages 29-30, and with Gedichte von Matthisson. Fünfte vermehrte Auflage. Zürich, bei Orell, Füssli und Compagnie. 1802, pages 213-214.

The first edition (Dessau, 1783) has the correct creation date (1780) and an additional (fourth) stanza which was left out in later editions:

Singt das bange Herz in Schlummer,
Hemmt der Zähren wilden Lauf,
Lös't der Liebe tiefsten Kummer
Selbst in stille Wehmuth auf!

¹ Matthisson (1791 and 1792 editions), and Rust: "zitternd Bild"
² Matthisson (1783 edition): "Rosenhülle"
³ Matthisson (editions prior to 1811), and Rust, Schubert, Zumsteeg: "noch stets mein Geist"
⁴ Schubert: "Blumenrauschen"

Authorship

• by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Der Abend", written 1780, appears in Gedichte aus den Studienjahren (1778-1781), first published 1783 [author's text checked 3 times 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 Ludwig Abeille (1761 - 1838), "Der Abend" [ voice and piano ], the third of a set [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ludwig Abeille (1761 - 1838), "Der Abend " [ voice and piano ], from Lieder und Elegien von F. v. Matthisson für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 3, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by H. Mühlenbruch , "Der Abend", op. 2 no. 4 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Vincenzo Righini (1756 - 1812), "Der Abend", op. 11 no. 3 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Friedrich Wilhelm Rust (1739 - 1796), "Der Abend ", published 1784 [ voice and piano ], from Oden und Lieder aus den besten deutschen Dichtern, Erste Sammlung, no. 9 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Friedrich Wilhelm Rust (1739 - 1796), "Der Abend", published 1796 [ voice and piano ], from Oden und Lieder aus den besten deutschen Dichtern, Zweite Sammlung, no. 7, Leipzig: Bei Georg August Grieshammer [sung text not yet checked]
• by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Der Abend", D 108 (1814) [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Emilie Zumsteeg (1796 - 1857), "Der Abend", stanzas 1,4-5 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Robert Lucas Pearsall.
  • Go to the text.
    

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El capvespre", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De avond", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The evening", copyright ©
• ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "The evening", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le soir", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Antonio Zencovich) , "La sera", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Melanie Trumbull , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 85

The pine hill is painted purple
by the sun's departing glance;
and the brook reflects beautifully
Hesperus' glowing torch.











If you trill sometime in the evening breeze,
cricket, upon my early grave
from the rosebushes of friendship,
your lamenting song:

My spirit will still listen to you,
listening just as it now listens to you,
through the hill's rustling flowers,
just as this little summer breeze is rustling.