Soir | Les ailes des vautours gris de la nuit

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by Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865 - 1910)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Abend

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Die grauen Geiersittiche der Nacht
Rauschen über den See.
In seinen erzenen Fängen hält der Riesenvogel
Die Leiche des Tages.
Eine Blutspur hinter ihm her
Wellt nach Westen.
Die schwarzen Augen des Waldes
Heben die Nadelwimpern
Und starren stumm
Dem Fluge des Räubers nach
Dem eine Schaar verdrossener Schatten folgt.
Vom Himmel herunter
In frostigen Winden
Haucht ein Gedanke:
Auf schwarzen Schwingen
Schwebt alles Leben
Schweigend
In das Tal des Todes.

Text Authorship:

by Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865 - 1910), "Abend", appears in Das Seidene Buch [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 Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916), "Abend", op. 74 (Fünf Gedichte von Otto Julius Bierbaum) no. 3 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Evening", copyright © 2023
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Soir", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2023-12-01
Line count: 18
Word count: 71

Soir

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

Les ailes des vautours gris de la nuit
Bruissent au-dessus du lac.
Dans ses serres de bronze, l'oiseau géant tient
Le cadavre du jour.
Une traînée de sang derrière lui
Ondule vers l'ouest.
Les yeux noirs de la forêt
Lèvent leurs cils acérés
Et fixent en silence
Le vol du prédateur
Suivi par une nuée d'ombres mécontentes.
Du ciel jusqu'en bas
Dans les vents glacés,
Germe une pensée :
Sur des ailes noires,
Toute vie flotte
Silencieusement
Dans la vallée de la mort.

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 Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865 - 1910), "Abend", appears in Das Seidene Buch
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-04-24
Line count: 18
Word count: 82