The thirteenth poem depicts a static scene as it conveys the impression of a moment that marks the lovers’ separation. The speaker addresses the beloved who leans against a willow at the riverside with an air of defensiveness after she declined to join him in a boat. The poem’s two sections divide the description of her cold distance from his invitation and sad resignation at her refusal.
The beloved is the central character in the first quatrain. The first verse depicts her leaning against a silver willow, which might be a symbol of chastity, infertility or death. Everything about her seems to reject the speaker. The fan's sharp points surround her head in an uninviting image that is enhanced by the alliteration “starren spitzen” and the onomatopoeic
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Schönberg did not indicate any tempo changes apart from a ritardando in the final bar. It is tempting to choose a faster tempo for the first half to bring out the contrast between the two characters. However, there is a certain cold elegance to the beloved that comes better across if the tempo is not too fast. The almost unmoving image of the two lovers that must be held together and the speaker’s fascination with and bewilderment at the beloved’s behaviour likewise require a rather slow tempo. However, the tempo should not become too slow and laboured either. The singer should for example only stress the first syllable in “Silberweide” and not be tempted by the triplets to add too much stress on the third syllable. Unlike the previous songs, this one does not begin with a lengthy piano introduction. I want to convey the sharp, repelling sting of the accent in bar 1, but should not play it too actively as that might invite the singer to start too fast. Therefore, I think of the triplet upbeat as a gentle wave in the water with a slight sting of the suddenly revealed fan on the