Langsam und schimmernd fiel ein Regen,
In den die Abendsonne schien;
Der Wandrer schritt auf engen Wegen
Mit düstrer Seele drunter hin.

Er sah die großen Tropfen blinken
Im Fallen durch den goldnen Strahl;
Er fühlt' es kühl aufs Haupt ihm sinken
Und sprach mit schauernd süßer Qual:

Nun weiß ich, daß ein Regenbogen
Sich hoch um meine Stirne zieht,
Den auf dem Pfad, den ich gezogen,
Die heitre Ferne spielen sieht.

Und die mir hier am nächsten stehen,
Und wer mich scharf zu kennen meint,
Sie können selber doch nicht sehen,
Wie er versöhnend ob mir scheint.

So wird, wenn andre Tage kommen,
Die sonnig auf dies Heute sehn,
[ Ob meinem fernen, bleichen Namen
Der Ehre Regenbogen stehn.]1

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Keller later changed this to: "Um meinen fernen blassen Namen / Des Friedens heller Bogen steh'n." (in Gessamelte Gedichte: Buch der Natur)

Text Authorship:

• by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890), "Abendregen", appears in Neuere Gedichte, in Vermischte Gedichte, first published 1851 [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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Abendregen", op. 70 (Vier Gesänge) no. 4 (1875), published 1877 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
• by August Reuss (1871 - 1935), "Abendregen", op. 7 (Tag- und Nachtgesänge) no. 3 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Pluja del capvespre", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Avondregen", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Evening rain", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Pluie du soir", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "La pioggia della sera", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 120

Slowly and resplendently fell a rainshower
Through which the evening sun shone:
Beneath it, the wanderer walked on narrow paths
With a gloomy soul.

He saw the large drops flashing
In their descent through the golden rays;
They felt cool on his head as they tumbled down
And he spoke with quivering, sweet agony:

Now I know that a rainbow
Stretches high above my brow
On the path that I've taken,
And from a great distance it can be seen playing.

And those who stand here nearby,
And think they know me so deeply,
They nevertheless cannot see
How it shines about me so propitiously.

So it will be that when other days come
And look back sunnily on this day today,
Above my distant, faded name
A rainbow of glory will stand.