La lumière du jour s’éteint doucement

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

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.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Sanft verglimmt des Tages Helle

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: FRE

Sanft verglimmt des Tages Helle,
Und vom letzten Strahl geküßt
Liegt die glatte Meereswelle
Wie geschmolz'ner Amethyst.

Kaum ein Lüftchen rührt die Schwingen,
Schweigen rings und Abendgluth!
Nur der Fischer leises Singen
Schwebt verhallend auf der Fluth.

Jetzt erstirbt's; ihr Nachen gleitet
Ohne Laut dem Hafen zu,
Und um meine Seele breitet
Sich dein Zauber, Meeresruh'.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• O. Dessoff

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884), no title, appears in Spätherbstblätter, in Ostseelieder, no. 11 [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 Ida Becker, née Naumann (d. 1897), "Sanft verglimmt des Tages Helle", published 1897 [ voice and piano ], from Ostseelieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 3, Berlin, Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]
by (Felix) Otto Dessoff (1835 - 1892), "Sanft verglimmt des Tages Helle", op. 8 (Fünf Lieder für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1879 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Claus-Christian Schuster [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 56

La lumière du jour s’éteint doucement

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

La lumière du jour s’éteint doucement,
Et, embrassée par le dernier rayon,
La mer d’un calme plat
Ressemble à une améthyste liquéfiée.

À peine un souffle de vent se lève,
Silence tout autour et lueur du soir !
Seul le chant léger du pêcheur
Plane et expire sur les flots.

À présent, tout s'éteint ; sa barque glisse
Sans un bruit vers le port,
Et autour de mon âme s'étend
Ta magie, calme de la mer.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"Sanft verglimmt des Tages Helle" = "La lumière du jour s’éteint doucement"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2026 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884), no title, appears in Spätherbstblätter, in Ostseelieder, no. 11
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-06-22
Line count: 12
Word count: 74