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In gold'nen Abendschein getauchet Hi, I am 'rendering' a German poem as an English poem for an Arts group I attend, and I'm finding a couple of lines problematic. They are: In leise Stimmen der Vöglein hauchet Des Abendwindes leises Weh'n. The difficulties as they appear to me are: The ending of 'Hauchet' looks to be an obsolete form (one would expect 'haucht'). And is it a present tense, or past participle? I suppose the verb goes with 'leises Weh'n' (or 'leises Wehen'). And as for 'lieses Weh'n', again there seems something non-standard in it. 'Lieses' looks like neuter singular nominative or accusative, but 'Weh'n' looks like feminine plural. They are in the first verse of a poem by Friedrich Rückert which goes: In gold'nen Abendschein getauchet, Wie feierlich die Wälder stehn! In leise Stimmen der Vöglein hauchet Des Abendwindes leises Weh'n. Was lispeln die Winde, die Vögelein? Sie lispeln die Welt in Schlummer ein. And the whole poem is: In gold'nen Abendschein getauchet, Wie feierlich die Wälder stehn! In leise Stimmen der Vöglein hauchet Des Abendwindes leises Weh'n. Was lispeln die Winde, die Vögelein? Sie lispeln die Welt in Schlummer ein. Ihr Wünsche, die ihr stets euch reget Im Herzen sonder Rast und Ruh! Du Sehnen, das die Brust beweget, Wann ruhest du, wann schlummerst du? Beim Lispeln der Winde, der Vögelein, Ihr sehnenden Wünsche, wann schlaft ihr ein? Was kommt gezogen auf Traumesflügeln? Was weht mich an so bang, so hold? Es kommt gezogen von fernen Hügeln, Es kommt auf bebendem Sonnengold. Wohl lispeln die Winde, die Vögelein, Das Sehnen, das Sehnen, es schläft nicht ein. Ach, wenn nicht mehr in gold'ne Fernen Mein Geist auf Traumgefieder eilt, Nicht mehr an ewig fernen Sternen Mit sehnendem Blick mein Auge weilt; Dann lispeln die Winde, die Vögelein Mit meinem Sehnen mein Leben ein. Regards

Corrections · 3

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' I hope, it could help you a bit.' Would be better: 'I hope this might help you a bit.'
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Thank you, Nayeli.leee. That anyway helps with 'hauchet'! Fair enough, then, you are not into grammar, but I wonder if you might be able to say what as a native speaker you understand by the two lines: In leise Stimmen der Vöglein hauchet Des Abendwindes leises Weh'n. I am taking it as perhaps: The (leises Weh'n) of the evening wind breathes into the low calls of little birds. And if, so far, that might be correct, what to make of 'leises Weh'n'?
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Hello. It must be a present tense. Although I´m a German native speaker I´m not really good at grammatical issues, sorry. But "Hauchet" is an obsolete form of "haucht", you´re right, and it´s a present tense. I hope, it could help you a bit.

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