Verses by Sophie Albrecht, translated by Julia Kalman
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The evening sky’s red hue now fades,
In twilight’s soft embrace;
The full moon rises, light cascades,
Inspiring every space.
The gentle west wind softly kisses
The meadow’s blooming grace,
In valley and grove, nature reminisces,
In quiet, reverent embrace.
Yet through the mountains, verdant scene,
In solemn, regal might,
The proud Moldau flows, serene,
Where nymphs laugh in the night.
Hurry, little boat, swiftly glide,
Away from city’s throng,
Lead me from wild joys’ frantic ride
To tranquil shores, where I belong.
Float to the island, so familiar,
Where in the linden’s shade,
With my love, so dear and dearer,
We’ve lingered, unafraid.
Once this place was fortress strong,
Now embraced by river’s flow,
A persecuted pair, their love song,
Kissed here, long ago.
Torn from the banks by tempest’s call,
They fled to this serene domain,
Where the silent waves, in secret, enthrall,
No traitor’s ear to hear their pain.
This was told by a spirit wise,
Who dwells along the shore,
With hope’s enchanting guise,
He heals the wounds love bore.
Forget-me-nots in blue embrace,
Laugh along the shore’s embrace,
And where the waves in rhythm race,
The linden grove finds its grace.
A sense of secrecy, whispered low,
After many a passing year,
To the pious Nepomuk, they bestow,
Devotion, altar, sincere.
To the martyrs of their plight,
Starlight weaves a crown,
For virtue in ancient light,
Angels palm and renown.
And in the heart’s warm, aching hold,
Sprinkles poppies sweet and fair,
Speaks of future’s promise bold,
For love, steadfast, and rare.
But hush, my song, for now I stand,
Welcome, familiar shore!
Listen! Trees and blooms command,
The name — Ferdinand, forevermore!
At the Grave of a Girl Who Took Her Own Life
You — forgotten by your sisters’ kin,
Slumber on, no tears you now obtain,
A stranger’s hand adorns with cypress green,
Poor maiden, your quiet burial lain.
Gently shaded by twilight’s wing,
Heard only by the cricket’s song,
Tears roll upon the lowly mound’s ring,
Which harsh pity scarcely grants prolong.
Was there no friendly sign left for you?
No cross-mark or gravestone to define?
Was the only reward for love so true,
This grave in the dark oak’s somber line?
Calm, my heart! — here you rest in peace,
And a God of love calls to thee,
To the palm, where, from sorrow’s cease,
True love endures eternally.
Sophie Albrecht (1756–1840) was a German actress and writer.
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Julia Kalman 