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Umweht von Maiduft, unter des Blütenbaums
Helldunkel [sahn]1 wir Abendgewölk verglüh'n,
Des vollen Mond's Aufgang erwartend,
Und Filomelengesäng' im Thalbusch.
Lau war die Dämmrung, traulicher scherzten wir
Mit nachgeahmter Fröhlichkeit. Bald verstummt
In holdem Tiefsinn, saß das Mägdlein,
[Stammelte:]2 wollen wir gehn? und ging nicht.
Die Hand in meiner zitterte. Bleib, o bleib!
Kaum athmend lallt' ich's. Wonne! da fügten wir,
Nach manchem Freundschaftskuss, den Brautkuss,
Nicht Filomela noch Mond bemerkend.
F. Hensel sets stanzas 1-2
Confirmed with Sämtliche Gedichte von Johann Heinrich Voß, Th. 3. Oden und Elegien, Königsberg: Friedrich Nicolovius 1802, page 83f.
1 Mendelssohn-Hensel: "sehn"2 Mendelssohn-Hensel: "flüsterte"
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Heinrich Voss (1751 - 1826), "Der Maiabend", appears in Oden und Lieder [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 Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Der Maiabend", op. posth. 9 (Sechs Lieder) no. 5 (1827?), published 1850, stanzas 1-2 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De Meiavond", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The May evening", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le soir de Mai", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 73
Fanned by the scents of May, beneath the light shade of the blossoming tree, we see the evening clouds dying away and await the rising of the full moon and Philomel's song in the valley bush. Mild was the twilight; we jested familiarly with mimicking jollity, but soon we fell silent. Deep in lovely thought sat the maiden, and we whispered, should we go? but we did not leave.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust, (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.
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Heinrich Voss (1751 - 1826), "Der Maiabend", appears in Oden und Lieder
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 69