Evening light | Yonder on the mountain

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Abendlicht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Am Berge dort
Wie strahlt das Abendlicht 
  So freundlich fort, 
Als könnt' es scheiden nicht!
  Was mag es schaun
Und grüßen auf den holden Aun?

  Wallt Hand in Hand
Ein selig Paar durch's Feld, 
  Daß unverwandt 
Das Licht vom Himmelszelt
  Muß niederschaun,
Durchzittert selbst von süßem Graun?

  Geht voller Leid
Ein einsam Herz den Steg,
  Und sucht Bescheid
Umsonst auf irrem Weg?
  Will tröstend schaun
Der Strahl hernieder aus dem Blaun? --

  O Abendlicht!
Was sinkst du schon in Nacht?
  Zeigst länger nicht
Die milde, sanfte Pracht?
  Magst nimmer schaun
Wohl des gebrochnen Herzens Graun? --

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 110-111.

Note to stanza 3, line 5: In the published poem this line ended with an exclamation mark, which makes no grammatical sense. It has been removed above.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Abendlicht", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 124 [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 Theodor Gaugler (1840 - 1892) [sung text not yet checked]
by August Langert (1836 - 1920) [sung text not yet checked]
by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Evening light", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-07-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 95

Evening light

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Yonder on the mountain,
How the evening light goes on
  Gleaming so amiably,
As if it could not depart!
  What might it be seeing
And greeting upon the lovely meadows?

  Does a blissful couple
Wander hand in hand through the field,
  So that the light from
The canopy of heaven 
  Must gaze down unwaveringly,
Itself all a-tremble with sweet terrors? 

  Does a solitary heart
Walk its path full of sorrow,
  And seeks in vain for 
An answer upon the errant path?
  Does the [sun]beam wish 
To gaze down comfortingly from the blue? --

  Oh evening light!
Why do you already sink into night?
  [Why] do you no longer show
Your mild, gentle splendour?
  Is it that you do not wish to see
The horror of a broken heart any longer? --

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Abendlicht", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 124
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-08-21
Line count: 24
Word count: 130