Autumn song | Oh, how soon the cycle ends

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by Karl Klingemann (1798 - 1862)

Translation © by Siân Goldthorpe, Christian Stein

Herbstlied

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE POR

Ach, wie so bald verhallet der Reigen,
Wandelt sich Frühling in Winterzeit!
Ach, wie so bald in traurendes Schweigen
Wandelt sich alle die Fröhlichkeit!

Bald sind die letzten Klänge verflogen!
Bald sind die letzten Sänger gezogen!
Bald ist das letzte Grün dahin!
Alle sie wollen heimwärts ziehn!

Ach, wie so bald verhallet der Reigen,
Wandelt sich Lust in sehnendes Leid.

Wart ihr ein Traum, ihr Liebesgedanken?
Süß wie der Lenz und schnell verweht?
Eines, nur eines will nimmer wanken:
Es ist das Sehnen, das nimmer vergeht.

Ach, wie so bald verhallet der Reigen!
Ach, wie so bald in traurendes Schweigen
Wandelt sich alle die Fröhlichkeit!

Text Authorship:

by Karl Klingemann (1798 - 1862) [author's text not yet checked 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 Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Herbstlied", op. 63 (Sechs Duette) no. 4, published 1845 [ vocal duet ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cançó de tardor", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Herfstlied", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Siân Goldthorpe) (Christian Stein) , "Autumn song", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant d'automne", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
POR Portuguese (Português) (Alexandre Trovon) , "Canção do Outono", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Siân Goldthorpe

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 105

Autumn song

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Oh, how soon the cycle ends,
Spring turns into wintertime!
Oh how soon all happiness
Turns to sad silence!

The last sounds soon fade!
The last songbirds are soon flown!
The last green is soon gone!
They all want to return home!

Oh, how soon the cycle ends,
Merriness turns to longing sorrow.

Were you a dream, you thoughts of love?
Sweet as spring and fast disappearing?
Only one thing will never wane:
The longing that never goes.

Ah, how soon the cycle ends!
Oh how soon all happiness
Turns to sad silence!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Siân Goldthorpe and Christian Stein, (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 Karl Klingemann (1798 - 1862)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 93