Poem by Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, translated by Julia Kalman
I.
As I ponder, O Silence, your tranquil sway,
Recalling the cool redness of that last evening,
When I could still grasp your dear hand:
I often stand pensive amidst the bustling crowd,
And, like the Swiss who hears alpine horn tunes
On foreign mountains, far from all friends,
Often unexpectedly struck,
A deep longing suddenly descends upon me.
I’ve often read it in your heart:
You never truly found me within yourself,
My nature remained foreign, too bold and restless for you,
And so I disappeared from your stream.
Oh, do not call the wild beauty of youth
That jests with life and its pains,
Because it feels the breast rich and earnest and gentle!
Long ago, the journey of our lives was separated,
My heart drove me through bright and dark hours.
The circles expand for the steadfast gaze,
The scent of that first realm has disappeared –
But, as the paths become wild and lonely,
What I have since, conquered by joy and sorrow,
Loved, erred, sung:
I kneel before you in all those thousand images.
II.
When love was still allied with me,
I had no rest for a moment;
Even when all still slept in the castle,
It was as if sweet voices were calling,
Resounding to the depths of my heart:
“Arise! Golden rays are already piercing,
The woods and gardens are sparkling cheerfully,
The birds sing anew with refreshed vigor,
Do you leave your beloved waiting so?”
And I had to leap from my bed.
But no light yet saw I dawning,
Outside through the night’s mild
Spaces and the clouds flew,
So that the soul, drawn along,
Gladly sank into deep contemplation –
Down below, the wide expanse,
Castles gleaming distantly,
Nightingales from the depths,
Everything woven together like a dream,
All in silent harmony.
I remained standing by the window,
Cooler breezes already blowing,
Red already the edges of the sky,
The trees stirring more freshly,
Voices heard in the distance:
And through doors, deserted arches,
Angrily, as the bolts sounded,
I slipped out secretly,
Until I swung freely onto the horse,
Morning winds enveloping me.
As morning unfurls its red banners
Far and wide from the heights,
Echo in all the breezes,
Torn free from the abysses
The silver streams flow:
The man feels the fresh spirits,
Out in the field, on horseback,
Boldly tearing apart all anxieties,
The earth steaming beneath him,
Here he feels himself lord and master.
And so I opened the stifling
Chest, breathing deeply in the coolness!
Locks blowing from forehead and cheek,
So that the stream might fully engulf me,
Freely washing around the blue sea,
With the clouds, hastening away,
With the streams’ bright greetings
Joyfully drawing my thoughts,
Far ahead of clouds, rivers –
Ah! I felt that I was blossoming!
And in the beautiful garden above,
As if just lifted from dreams,
I saw my maiden standing quietly,
Walking over river and forests
From the cheerful lookout above
Her eyes bright and clear,
When her beloved would come. –
Yes! then came the sun swiftly,
And far around the whole earth
It was morning beautiful and bright!
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff (10 March 1788–26 November 1857) was a prominent German Romantic poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. His works have remained popular in German-speaking Europe since their publication.
[The info provided about Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was sourced from Wikipedia.]
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Julia Kalman 