Woher, o namenloses Sehnen,
Das den beklemmten Busen preßt?
Woher, ihr bittersüßen Thränen,
Die ihr das Auge dämmernd näßt?
O Abendroth, o [Mondenblitz]1,
Flimmt blasser um den Lindensitz!

Es säuselt in dem Laub der Linde;
Es [flistert]2 im Akazienstrauch.
Mir schmeichelt süß, mir schmeichelt linde
Des grauen Abends lauer Hauch.
Es spricht um mich, wie Geistergruß;
Es weht mich an, wie Engelkuß.

Es glänzt, es glänzt im Nachtgefilde,
Der Linde [graue]2 Scheitel bebt -
Verklärte himmlische Gebilde,
Seyd ihr es, die ihr mich umschwebt?
Ich fühle eures Athems Kuß,
O Julie! o Emilius!

Bleibt Sel'ge, bleibt in eurem Eden!
Des Lebens Hauch bläst schwer und schwül
Durch stumme leichenvolle Öden.
Elysium ist mild und kühl.
Elysium ist wonnevoll -
Fahrt wohl, ihr Trauten! fahret wohl!

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with L. T. Kosegarten's Poesieen, Neueste Auflage, Dritter Band, Berlin 1803, pages 201-202. This is the source used by Schubert. Kosegarten's poem is slightly different in later editions (see below).

Note: a 2016 Muzibook Publishing edition of Schubert songs has a typo ("leidenvolle") in line 4-3.

¹ Kosegarten (Leipzig 1802 edition): "Morgenblitz" (the errata section of the 1802 edition changes this to "Mondenblitz", however)
² Schubert: "flüstert"
³ Schubert (D. 235 only): "grauer"

Text Authorship:

• by Ludwig Gotthard Theobul Kosegarten (1758 - 1818), "Abends unter der Linde" [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Abends unter der Linde", D 235 (1815), published 1894 [ voice, piano ], first setting [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Abends unter der Linde", D 237 (1815), published 1872 [ voice, piano ], second setting [sung text checked 1 time]

Another version of this text exists in the database.

• Go to the text. [ view differences ]
  

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Capvespre sota el til·ler", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "'s Avonds onder de linde", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Evening under the linden tree", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Soirée sous le tilleul", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Gino Taschini) , "Sera sotto il tiglio", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "Atardecer bajo el tilo", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 127

Da dove vieni, o brama senza nome
Che premi sul mio petto ansioso?
Da dove venite, voi lacrime dolciamare
Che oscurate i miei umidi occhi?
O scintillante sera, o luce lunare,
splendi più pallidamente intorno al seggio del tiglio! 

Le foglie del tiglio frusciano;
gli arbusti di acacia sospirano.
Dolcemente, gentilmente sono accarezzato
Dal respiro della grigia sera.
Voci fantasma stanno parlando intono a me
Come baci di un angelo.

I campi brillano nella notte,
La cima del tiglio freme --
trasfigurate, forme paradisiache,
siete voi che fluttuate intorno a me?
Sento i vostri respiri come baci
o Julie, o Emilius!

Restate, benedette, restate nel vostro Eden!
Il respiro della vita soffia pesante e soffocante
Tra le silenziose incolte terre piene di cadaveri.
Gli Elisi sono placidi e freschi.
Gli Elisi sono deliziosi --
addio, a voi cari, addio!