TRANSLATIONS OF BÜRGER'S LENORE
109
"The moon is bright, and blue the night;
Dost quake the blast to stem?
Dost shudder, mayd, to seeke the dead?"
"No, no, but what of them?"
Dost quake the blast to stem?
Dost shudder, mayd, to seeke the dead?"
"No, no, but what of them?"
How glumly sownes yon dirgy song!
Night-ravens flappe the wing.
What knell doth slowly tolle ding dong?
The psalms of death who sing?
Night-ravens flappe the wing.
What knell doth slowly tolle ding dong?
The psalms of death who sing?
Fourth creeps a swarthy funeral train,
A corse is on the biere;
Like croke of todes from lonely moores,
The chauntings meete the eere.
A corse is on the biere;
Like croke of todes from lonely moores,
The chauntings meete the eere.
"Go, beare her corse when midnight's past,
With song, and tear, and wail;
I've gott my wife, I take her home,
My hour of wedlock hail!
With song, and tear, and wail;
I've gott my wife, I take her home,
My hour of wedlock hail!
"Leade forth, O dark, the chaunting quire,
To swell our spousal-song:
Come, preest, and reade the blessing soone;
For our dark bed we long."
To swell our spousal-song:
Come, preest, and reade the blessing soone;
For our dark bed we long."
The bier is gon, the dirges hush;
His bidding all obaye,
And headlong rush thro briar and bush,
Beside his speedy waye.
His bidding all obaye,
And headlong rush thro briar and bush,
Beside his speedy waye.
Halloo! halloo! how swift they go,
Unheeding wet or dry;
And horse and rider snort and blow,
And sparkling pebbles fly.
Unheeding wet or dry;
And horse and rider snort and blow,
And sparkling pebbles fly.
How swift the hill, how swift the dale,
Aright, aleft, are gon!
By hedge and tree, by thorp and town,
They gallop, gallop on:
Aright, aleft, are gon!
By hedge and tree, by thorp and town,
They gallop, gallop on:
Tramp, tramp, across the land they speede;
Splash, splash, across the see:
"Hurrah! the dead can ride apace;
Dost feare to ride with mee?
Splash, splash, across the see:
"Hurrah! the dead can ride apace;
Dost feare to ride with mee?
"Look up, look up, an airy crew
In roundel dances reele:
The moon is bright, and blue the night,
Mayst dimly see them wheele.
In roundel dances reele:
The moon is bright, and blue the night,
Mayst dimly see them wheele.
