The spirit of love | Evening veils meadow and copse

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by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Geist der Liebe

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA SPA

Der Abend schleiert Flur und Hain
In traulichholde Dämmrung ein;
Hell flimmt, wo goldne Wölkchen ziehn,
Der Stern der Liebeskönigin.

Die Wogenfluth hallt Schlummerklang,
Die Bäume lispeln Abendsang; 
Der Wiese Gras umgaukelt lind
Mit Sylphenkuß der Frühlingswind. 

Der Geist der Liebe wirkt und strebt,
Wo nur ein Puls der Schöpfung bebt;
Im Strom, wo Wog' in Woge fließt,
Im Hain, wo Blatt an Blatt sich schließt. 

O Geist der Liebe! führe du
Dem Jüngling die Erkorne zu!
Ein Minneblick der Trauten hellt
Mit Himmelsglanz die Erdenwelt!

Confirmed with Gedichte von Friedrich von Matthisson. Erster Theil. Tübingen, bei Cotta, 1811, page 39.

Note: The initial version of this poem, published with the title Abendlied, is slightly different; see below.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Geist der Liebe", written 1776-77 [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), "Geist der Liebe", D 414 (1816), published 1895 [ voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Geist der Liebe", op. 11 no. 3, D 747 (1822), published 1822 [ ttbb quartet with piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Set in a modified version by F. C. Füchs, Albert Gottlieb Methfessel, Hans Georg Nägeli, Friedrich Wilhelm Rust, Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg.

Go to the text. [ view differences ] FRE

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "L'esperit de l'amor", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Geest van liefde", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The spirit of love", copyright © 2011
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "L'esprit de l'amour", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Antonio Zencovich) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Iago Giné) , "Espíritu del amor", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 86

The spirit of love

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Evening veils meadow and copse
in a cosy, lovely twilight;
where little golden clouds waft,
the star of love's queen twinkles brightly.

The surge of the tide resounds [with] a sleepy sound,
the trees whisper an evening song,
[and] the spring breeze with a sylphid kiss 
gently ruffles the grass of the meadow.

The spirit of love takes effect and strives,
wherever even a single pulse of Creation trembles:
in the river, where wave flows upon wave,
in the copse, where leaf interlocks with leaf.

O spirit of love, lead
the chosen one to the young man,
[for] the love-filled glance of a beloved one brightens
the terrestrial world with the brilliance of Heaven.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Geist der Liebe", written 1776-77
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-06-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 114