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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

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by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831)
Translation © by Malcolm Wren

Der Abend
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE ITA
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!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Rust •   F. Schubert •   E. Zumsteeg 

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: 90

The evening
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Purple paints the pine-covered hill
After the departing glance of the sun;
Lovingly the mirror of the brook
Reflects Hesperus' bright torch.

It is becoming as gloomy as burial vaults
In the groves of poplars;
Under the gently whispering leaves
All the birds fall asleep.

Only your serenade, cricket,
Can still be heard out of the dewy green;
Through the magical cover of dusk
Resound sweet mournful melodies.

If ever you sing in the evening breath,
Cricket, over my early grave,
Out of the rosebush planted by friends
Raising your lament,

My spirit will always listen to you,
Paying attention to you as now
Rustling through flowers on the grave
Like the rustling of this summer breeze.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 by Malcolm Wren, (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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Der Abend", written 1780, appears in Gedichte aus den Studienjahren (1778-1781), first published 1783
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2016-09-11
Line count: 20
Word count: 117

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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