Text & Translation
Im Abendrot
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Gegangen Hand in Hand,
Vom Wandern ruhen wir
Nun überm stillen Land.
Rings sich die Täler neigen,
Es dunkelt schon die Luft,
Zwei Lerchen nur noch steigen
Nachträumend in den Duft.
Tritt her, und lass sie schwirren,
Bald ist es Schlafenszeit,
Dass wir uns nicht verirren
In dieser Einsamkeit.
O weiter, stiller Friede!
So tief im Abendrot
Wie sind wir wandermüde—
Ist dies etwa der Tod?
At sunset
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Through joys and distress,
Now we rest from our wanderings
High above the quiet land.
Around us the valleys slope down,
The skies have begun to darken,
Only two larks, recalling a dream,
Soar up into the haze.
Come, and leave them to fly,
Soon it will be time to sleep,
We must not lose our way
In this solitude.
O vast and silent peace!
So deep in sunset glow,
How weary we are with wandering –
Could this perhaps be death?
Im Abendrot
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
At sunset
English source:
Richard Stokes
Wir sind durch Not und Freude
We have gone hand in hand
Gegangen Hand in Hand,
Through joys and distress,
Vom Wandern ruhen wir
Now we rest from our wanderings
Nun überm stillen Land.
High above the quiet land.
Rings sich die Täler neigen,
Around us the valleys slope down,
Es dunkelt schon die Luft,
The skies have begun to darken,
Zwei Lerchen nur noch steigen
Only two larks, recalling a dream,
Nachträumend in den Duft.
Soar up into the haze.
Tritt her, und lass sie schwirren,
Come, and leave them to fly,
Bald ist es Schlafenszeit,
Soon it will be time to sleep,
Dass wir uns nicht verirren
We must not lose our way
In dieser Einsamkeit.
In this solitude.
O weiter, stiller Friede!
O vast and silent peace!
So tief im Abendrot
So deep in sunset glow,
Wie sind wir wandermüde—
How weary we are with wandering –
Ist dies etwa der Tod?
Could this perhaps be death?
Composer
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is particularly well-known for his operas, Lieder, and tone poems. Read more here.
Poet
Joseph von Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism. Ever since their publication and up to the present day, some…