Detlev von Liliencron

Sommernacht

An ferne Berge on faraway mountains schlug hit die Donner the thunder keulen maces, clubs

Ein rasch a fast verrauschtes noisy Nachmittag afternoon gewitter thunderstorm .

Die Bauern the farmers zogen pulled heim home auf müden Gäulen on tired horses/nags ,

Und singend and singing kehrten turned (back) Winzervolk vintners und and Schnitter reapers .

Auf allen Dächern on every roof qualmten rose blaue blue Säulen columns

Genügsam equally himmelan towards heaven , ein luftig Gitter an airy lattice .

Nun ist es Nacht now it is night , es geistern they move about like ghosts schon already die Eulen the owls ,

Einsam alone aus einer Laube from a balcony klingt sounds die Zither the zither .

This poem is easy to understand but difficult to translate. The very first sentence is fairly complex. As a poem, you can feel the meanings behind the core words, but when you analyze the grammar, it becomes confusing. “Afternoon thunderstorm” is