Evening | The gray vulture wings of night

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by Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865 - 1910)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Abend

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Die grauen Geiersittiche der Nacht
Rauschen über den See.
In seinen erzenen Fängen hält der Riesenvogel
Die Leiche des Tages.
Eine Blutspur hinter ihm her
Wellt nach Westen.
Die schwarzen Augen des Waldes
Heben die Nadelwimpern
Und starren stumm
Dem Fluge des Räubers nach
Dem eine Schaar verdrossener Schatten folgt.
Vom Himmel herunter
In frostigen Winden
Haucht ein Gedanke:
Auf schwarzen Schwingen
Schwebt alles Leben
Schweigend
In das Tal des Todes.

Text Authorship:

by Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865 - 1910), "Abend", appears in Das Seidene Buch [author's text checked 1 time 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 Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916), "Abend", op. 74 (Fünf Gedichte von Otto Julius Bierbaum) no. 3 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Evening", copyright © 2023

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2023-12-01
Line count: 18
Word count: 71

Evening

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The gray vulture wings of night
are rushing over the lake.
In its bronze talons the giant bird clutches 
the corpse of the day.
Behind it a trail of blood 
undulates toward the west.
The dark eyes of the woods
lift their needle lashes
and stare mutely
after the flight of the robber,
which a crowd of peevish shadows follows.
Down from the sky
in chill winds, 
breathes one thought:
On dark wings
Glides all of life,
Silently 
into the Valley of Death.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865 - 1910), "Abend", appears in Das Seidene Buch
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2023-12-01
Line count: 18
Word count: 83