All I lost as soon as dead,
Happy as before am I.
Him she clasps with silent smile,
And his mouth the hour improves,
Sent by kindly Deities;
First from breast to mouth it roves,
Then from mouth to hands it flies,
And I round him sport the while.
And she sees me hov'ring near;
Trembling at her lovers rapture,
Up she springs--I fly away,
"Dearest! let's the
insect capture
Come! I long to make my prey
Yonder pretty little dear!"
1767-9.
-----
APPARENT DEATH.
WEEP,
maiden, weep here o'er the tomb of Love;
He died of nothing--by mere chance was slain.
But is he really dead?--oh, that I cannot prove:
A nothing, a mere chance, oft gives him life again.
1767-9.
-----
NOVEMBER SONG.
To the great archer--not to him
To meet whom flies the sun,
And who is wont his features dim
With clouds to overrun--
But to the boy be vow'd these rhymes,
Who 'mongst the roses plays,
Who hear us, and at proper times
To
pierce fair hearts essays.
Through him the
gloomy winter night,
Of yore so cold and drear,
Brings many a loved friend to our sight,
And many a woman dear.
Henceforward shall his image fair
Stand in yon
starry skies,
And, ever mild and
gracious there,
Alternate set and rise.
1815.*
-----
TO THE CHOSEN ONE.
[This sweet song is
doubtless one of those addressed to
Frederica.]
HAND in hand! and lip to lip!
Oh, be
faithful,
maiden dear!
Fare thee well! thy lover's ship
Past full many a rock must steers
But should he the haven see,
When the storm has ceased to break,
And be happy, reft of thee,--
May the Gods
fiercevengeance take!
Boldly dared is well nigh won!
Half my task is solved aright;
Ev'ry star's to me a sun,
Only cowards deem it night.
Stood I idly by thy side,
Sorrow still would sadden me;
But when seas our paths divide,
Gladly toil I,--toil for thee!
Now the
valley I perceive,
Where together we will go,
And the streamlet watch each eve,
Gliding
peacefully below
Oh, the poplars on yon spot!
Oh, the beech trees in yon grove!
And behind we'll build a cot,
Where to taste the joys of love!
1771.
-----
FIRST LOSS.
AH! who'll e'er those days restore,
Those bright days of early love
Who'll one hour again concede,
Of that time so
fondly cherish'd!
Silently my wounds I feed,
And with wailing evermore
Sorrow o'er each joy now perish'd.
Ah! who'll e'er the days restore
Of that time so
fondly cherish'd.
1789.*
-----
AFTER-SENSATIONS.
WHEN the vine again is blowing,
Then the wine moves in the cask;
When the rose again is glowing,
Wherefore should I feel oppress'd?
Down my cheeks run tears all-burning,
If I do, or leave my task;
I but feel a
speechless yearning,
That pervades my inmost breast.
But at length I see the reason,
When the question I would ask:
'Twas in such a
beauteous season,
Doris glowed to make me blest!
1797.
-----
PROXIMITY OF THE BELOVED ONE.
I THINK of thee, whene'er the sun his beams
O'er ocean flings;
I think of thee, whene'er the
moonlight gleams
In silv'ry springs.
I see thee, when upon the distant ridge
The dust awakes;
At midnight's hour, when on the
fragile bridge
The
wanderer" target="_blank" title="n.流浪者">
wanderer quakes.
I hear thee, when yon billows rise on high,
With murmur deep.
To tread the silent grove oft
wander I,
When all's asleep.
I'm near thee, though thou far away mayst be--
Thou, too, art near!
The sun then sets, the stars soon
lighten me.
Would thou wert here!
1795.
-----
PRESENCE.
ALL things give token of thee!
As soon as the bright sun is shining,
Thou too wilt follow, I trust.
When in the garden thou walk'st,
Thou then art the rose of all roses,
Lily of lilies as well.
When thou dost move in the dance,
Then each
constellation moves also;
With thee and round thee they move.
Night! oh, what bliss were the night!
For then thou o'ershadow'st the lustre,
Dazzling and fair, of the moon.
Dazzling and
beauteous art thou,
And flowers, and moon, and the planets
Homage pay, Sun, but to thee.
Sun! to me also be thou
Creator of days bright and glorious;
Life and Eternity this!
1813.
-----
TO THE DISTANT ONE.
AND have I lost thee evermore?
Hast thou, oh fair one, from me flown?
Still in mine ear sounds, as of yore,
Thine ev'ry word, thine ev'ry tone.
As when at morn the wand'rer's eye
Attempts to
pierce the air in vain,
When,
hidden in the azure sky,
The lark high o'er him chaunts his strain:
So do I cast my troubled gaze
Through bush, through forest, o'er the lea;
Thou art invoked by all my lays;
Oh, come then, loved one, back to me!
1789.*
-----
BY THE RIVER.
FLOW on, ye lays so loved, so fair,
On to Oblivion's ocean flow!
May no rapt boy recall you e'er,
No
maiden in her beauty's glow!
My love alone was then your theme,
But now she scorns my
passion true.
Ye were but written in the stream;
As it flows on, then, flow ye too!
1798.*
-----
FAREWELL.
To break one's word is pleasure-fraught,
To do one's duty gives a smart;
While man, alas! will promise nought,
That is repugnant to his heart.
Using some magic strains of yore,
Thou lurest him, when scarcely calm,
On to sweet folly's
fragile bark once more,
Renewing, doubling chance of harm.
Why seek to hide thyself from me?
Fly not my sight--be open then!
Known late or early it must be,
And here thou hast thy word again.
My duty is fulfill'd to-day,
No longer will I guard thee from surprise;
But, oh,
forgive the friend who from thee turns away,
And to himself for
refuge flies!
1797.
-----
THE EXCHANGE.
THE stones in the streamlet I make my bright pillow,
And open my arms to the swift-rolling billow,
That lovingly hastens to fall on my breast.
Then fickleness soon bids it onwards be flowing;
A second draws nigh, its caresses bestowing,--
And so by a twofold
enjoyment I'm blest.
And yet thou art trailing in sorrow and sadness
The moments that life, as it flies, gave for gladness,
Because by thy love thou'rt remember'd no more!
Oh, call back to mind former days and their blisses!
The lips of the second will give as sweet kisses
As any the lips of the first gave before!
1767-9.
-----
WELCOME AND FAREWELL.
[Another of the love-songs addressed to Frederica.]
QUICK throbb'd my heart: to norse! haste, haste,