Sunset | It is already growing dark above the woods

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by Paul Heinze (1858 - 1912)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Sonnenuntergang

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Schon dunkelt es über den Wäldern,
Nun wird es so feierlich still; --
Die flammende Seele des Tages,
Die Sonne, verscheiden will.

Noch einmal grüßt sie herüber,
Von [heiligen]¹ Gluthen entfacht,
Und schmückt mit Purpurgewölken
Liebreich die feindliche Nacht.

O du brechendes Weltenauge
Selig verlöschenden Scheins, --
Hinströmen mein tiefstes Wesen
Möcht' ich mit dir in Eins! --

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• A. Wallnöfer

View text without footnotes

Confirmed with Deutsches Dichterheim, 11. Jg., Paul Heinze (Hrsg.), Dresden-Striesen, 1891.

Also confirmed with Aus Dur und Moll. Gedichte von Paul Heinze und Anna Heinze, Leipzig: Druck und Verlag von Breitkopf & Härtel, 1897, page 18.

¹ Wallnöfer: "heil'gen"

Text Authorship:

by Paul Heinze (1858 - 1912), "Sonnenuntergang", appears in Aus Dur und Moll, in Erste Abtheilung, in Im Wandel der Zeiten [author's text checked 2 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 Adolf Wallnöfer (1854 - 1946), "Sonnenuntergang", op. 42 (Drei Lieder für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1891 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel; note: in the manuscript, this is number 1 of the set [sung text checked 1 time]

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

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2023-06-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 56

Sunset

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

It is already growing dark above the woods,
Now it is becoming so solemnly still; --
The flaming soul of the day,
The sun, wishes to depart.

Once more it sends a greeting over [to us],
Kindled by holy embers,
And with crimson clouds it lovingly
Adorns the hostile night.

Oh you expiring eye of the world
Of blissfully extinguishing radiance, --
I would like to pour forth 
My deepest essence in union with you

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Paul Heinze (1858 - 1912), "Sonnenuntergang", appears in Aus Dur und Moll, in Erste Abtheilung, in Im Wandel der Zeiten
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-04-09
Line count: 12
Word count: 73