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"

Text 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 page: 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

Purple glow the forest mountains
In the sun’s departing beam,
Lovely shines the star of even,
Mirror’d in the crystal stream.

Dark as in sepulchral chambers
Low’rs the gloomy poplar grove;
Nought but gentlywhisp’ring branches
There is heard or seen to move;

Save where Philomela singing
Softly from a greenwood tree,
To the dewbespangled roses,
Pours her lovelorn melody.

Soon, perhaps, on such an evening,
I shall hear thy voice resound,
Sadly singing to the roses,
Which my early grave surround.

Then my soul shall listen to thy numbers,
Listen as it listens now,
While the breezes waft thy music
O’er the flow’ry mountain's brow.