Premonition of Autumn | As in the days of May

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Herbstahnung

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Als wie in Maientagen 
Im schönsten Grün die Welt; 
Frisch die Wälder noch ragen, 
  So licht erhellt. 

Noch warmes, heitres Leben, 
Kein einzig Blatt noch falb; 
Singend Vögelein schweben 
  Noch allenthalb. 

Ein Windhauch nur so eigen 
Geht plötzlich durch die Luft; 
Blasse Blumen sich zeigen, 
  Ach, ohne Duft! 

O ewig neue Klage, 
O alte, bittre Noth: 
Selig froh noch die Tage, 
  Und nah der Tod!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 122.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Herbstahnung", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 138 [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 Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Premonition of Autumn", 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: 2025-07-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 65

Premonition of Autumn

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

As in the days of May
The world stands in the most beautiful green;
The woods still tower,
  In freshness and so brightly lit.

Still filled with warm, cheerful life,
Not a single leaf yet dulled;
Singing birds still 
  Soar everywhere.

Only a strange breath of wind
Suddenly passes through the air;
Pale flowers appear,
  Ah, without scent!

Oh, eternally new lament,
Oh, old, bitter sorrow:
Blessedly happy still the days,
  And yet death is near!

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), "Herbstahnung", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 138
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-10-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 76