Geh unter, schöne Sonne, sie achteten
  Nur wenig dein, sie kannten dich, Heilge, nicht.
   Denn mühelos und stille bist du
    Über den Mühsamen aufgegangen.

 Mir gehst du freundlich unter und auf, o Licht,
  Und wohl erkennt mein Auge dich, herrliches!
   Denn göttlich stille ehren lernt ich,
    Da Diotima den Sinn mir heilte.

 O du, des Himmels Botin, wie lauscht ich dir,
  Dir, Diotima! Liebe! wie sah von dir
   Zum goldnen Tage dieses Auge
    Glänzend und dankend empor. Da rauschten

 Lebendiger die Quellen, es atmeten
  Der dunkeln Erde Blüten mich liebend an,
   Und lächelnd über Silberwolken
    Neigte sich segnend herab der Äther.

About the headline (FAQ)

Published in 1846 with the title "Am Abend".
Note provided by John Paton: Hölderlin borrowed the name Diotima from Plato's Symposium and applied it to Susette Gontard, whose children he tutored. She was the secret, unrequited love of his life.

Text Authorship:

• by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Geh unter, schöne Sonne...", written 1799 [author's text not yet checked 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 Gottfried von Einem (1918 - 1996), "Geh' unter, schöne Sonne", op. 42 no. 3, first performed 1975 [ mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra ], from cantata An die Nachgeborenen, no. 3, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
• by Wolfgang Fortner (1907 - 1987), "Geh unter, schöne Sonne", 1933 [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Gesänge nach Worten von Hölderlin, no. 4, Schott Music [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Josef Matthias Hauer (1883 - 1959), "Am Abend", op. 32 (Sieben Lieder) no. 5 (1924) [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Paul von Klenau (1883 - 1946), "Am Abend", 1942 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Wolfgang Nening (b. 1966), "Geh unter schöne Sonne", 1991/1992 [ mezzo-soprano and guitar; or mezzo-soprano and string trio; or high voice and piano ], from Fünf Hölderlin-Fragmente, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Walter Steffens (b. 1934), "Geh unter, schöne Sonne", op. 95 no. 4 (2008) [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Gesänge auf Hölderlin für mittlere Gesangsstimme und Klavier, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]

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

• ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "Go down, lovely sun", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 102

Go down, lovely sun, they paid
little heed to you; they knew you not, holy one.
For effortlessly and silently you
rose over those who must work hard.

To me you are friendly, rising or setting, o Light,
and indeed my eye recognizes you, magnificent one!
for I learned divine, quiet respect
when Diotima healed my mind.

O you messenger of Heaven, how I listened to you,
to you, Diotima, love! How my eye gazed from you
to the golden day, 
upward, gleaming and full of thanks. Then murmured

the springs more vitally, breathed
the dark earth's blossoms lovingly on me,
and smiling over silver clouds,
the sky bowed down in blessing.