Evening songs

These verses invite listeners into a quiet garden of 19th‑century Czech lyricism, where the cadence of spring and the hush of twilight are rendered in clear, singable English. The translator preserves the original’s fragrant simplicity, letting the poems breathe like fresh breezes over meadow and oak. Each piece feels like a modest candle, casting gentle light on love, nature, and a contemplative spirit.

The collection opens with a celebration of awakening—finches, children, blooming flowers—all moving toward the sun in joyous anticipation. It then moves to a chivalrous wanderer whose heart is torn between longing and duty, offering a timeless romance that resonates beyond its historic setting. Later stanzas quiet the world, listening to the stillness of trees and the distant nightingale, making the listener feel both the rustle of leaves and the pulse of an inner song.