Good Night

I came here a stranger,
As a stranger I depart.
May favored me
With many a bunch of flowers.
The girl spoke of love,
Her mother even of marriage -
Now the world is so gloomy,
The road shrouded in snow.

I cannot choose the time
To begin my journey,
Must find my own way
In this darkness.
A shadow of the moon travels
With me as my companion,
And upon the white fields
I seek the deer's track.

Why should I stay here any longer
So that people can drive me away ?
Let stray dogs howl
In front of their master's house;
Love loves to wander -
God made it that way -
From one to the other,
My dearest, good night !

I don't want to disturb your dreaming,
It would be a shame to wake you.
You won't hear my step,
Softly, softly the door closes !
I write in passing
On your gate: Good night,
So that you may see
That I thought of you.

    难道此时此地的等待

    是为了被人放逐

    就让流浪的狗呜咽吧

    亲爱的,晚安

    我的思念

Die Wetterfahne

The Weathervane

The wind plays with the weathervane
On my lovely darling's house.
And I thought in my delusion,
That it mocked the poor fugitive.

He should have noticed sooner
The symbol displayed on the house,
So he wouldn't ever have expected
To find a faithful woman within.

The wind plays with the hearts inside
As it does on the roof, only not so loudly.
Why should they care about my grief ?
Their child is a rich bride.

    那是对可怜的流浪者的嘲弄

    可怜的人必定会注意到

    风又与那颗心纠缠在一起

    孩子们终将成为富有的新娘

Gefror'ne Tränen

Frozen Tears

Frozen drops are falling
Down from my cheeks.
How could I have not noticed
That I have been weeping ?

Ah tears, my tears,
And are you so tepid
That you freeze to ice
Like cool morning dew ?

Yet you burst from the wellspring
Of my heart so burning hot,
As if you wanted to melt
The entire winter's ice !

    我曾如此的流泪

    噢眼泪,那是我的眼泪

    你是那样的温暖

    又是那样的冰冷

    恰似晨间的露水

    破裂而出的泪水 

Erstarrung

Numbness

I search the snow in vain
For the trace of her steps.
Where she, arm in arm with me,
Crossed the green meadow.

I want to kiss the ground,
Penetrate ice and snow
With my hot tears,
Until I see the soil.

Where will I find a blossom,
Where will I find green grass ?
The flowers are all dead,
The turf is so pale.

Shall then no momento
Accompany me from here ?
When my pains cease,
Who will tell me of her then ?

My heart is as if dead,
Her image frozen cold within;
If my heart ever thaws again,
Her image will also melt away !

麻木

 我在虚无中寻找白雪

    是为了她走过的痕迹

    在那片,同我手牵手的

    曾经经过的绿色田园

    我想要亲吻这大地

    渗过冰雪的

    我的眼泪

    直到看见泥土

    哪里能找到盛开的花朵

    哪里能找到绿色的青草

    可花已凋谢

    草地已干枯

    如果我遗忘那些陪我一路走来的

    记忆的碎片

    当所有痛苦终结时

    又能有谁告诉我关于她的回忆

Der Lindenbaum

The Linden Tree

At the well by the gate
There stands a linden tree;
I dreamed in its shadow
Many a sweet dream.

I carved in its bark
Many a word of love;
In joy and in sorrow
I was always drawn to it.

Again today I had to travel
Past it in the depths of night.
There even in the darkness
I closed my eyes.

And its branches rustled,
As if they called to me:
Come here to me, friend,
Here you'll find peace !

The cold winds blew
Right into my face;
The hat flew off my head,
I didn't turn around.

Now I am many hours
Distant from that place,
And I still hear it whispering:
You'd find peace here !

    有欢愉有痛苦

    统统的印刻在此

    即使在黑暗中

    我闭上眼

    树枝沙沙依然

    他们呼唤着我

    来吧,我的朋友

    这就是你所找寻的地方

 Wasserflut

Da ist meiner Liebsten Haus. 

Flood Water

Many a tear from my eyes
Has fallen in the snow;
Its cold flakes absorb
Thirstily the burning woe.

When it's time for the grass to sprout
There blows a mild wind,
And the ice will break apart
And the soft snow melt away.

Snow, you know about my longing,
Tell me, where does your course lead ?
If you just follow my tears,
The brook will soon receive you.

You will flow through the town with it,
In and out of the busy streets;
When you feel my tears burning,
There is my sweetheart's house.

Auf dem Fluße

On the River

You who thundered so cheerfully,
You clear, untamed river,
How quiet you have become,
Give no word of farewell.

With a hard stiff crust
You have covered yourself,
Lie cold and unmoving,
Outstretched in the sand.

In your covering I inscribe
With a sharp stone
The name of my sweetheart
And the hour and day, as well.

The day of the first greeting,
The day on which I left;
Around name and figures winds
A broken ring.

My heart, in this stream
Do you now recognize your image ?
And under its crust
Is there also a raging torrent ?

    你是那清澈,不拘的小溪

    那片河床上

    我用一块尖利的石头

    刻划你的表面

    记录下我爱人的名字

    以及每分每秒,和所有的一切

    围绕着名字和刻字的

    只是一只破损的戒指

Rückblick

Vor ihrem Hause stille steh'n. 

A Look Backward

It burns under both my feet,
Even though I walk on ice and snow;
I don't want to catch my breath
Until I can no longer see the spires.

I tripped on every stone,
As I hurried out of the town;
The crows hurled chunks of snow and ice
On my hat from every house.

How differently you received me,
You town of inconstancy !
At your sparkling windows sang
The lark and nightingale in competition.

The bushy linden trees bloomed,
The clear streams murmured brightly,
And, oh, two maiden's eyes glowed -
Your fate was sealed, my boy !

Whenever that day enters my thoughts,
I want to look back once more,
I want to turn back again
And stand still before her house.

    即使是走在冰雪之上

Jedes Leiden auch sein Grab.

Will o' the Wisp

Into the deepest mountain chasms
A will o' the wisp lured me;
How to find a way out
Doesn't worry me much.

I'm used to going astray,
And every way leads to the goal.
Our joys, our sorrows,
Are all a will o' the wisp's game !

Through the mountain stream's dry channel
I wend my way calmly downward.
Every river finds its way to the ocean,
And every sorrow to its grave.

Rast

Rest

Now I first notice how tired I am
As I lay myself down to rest;
Walking kept me going strong
On the inhospitable road.

My feet didn't ask for rest,
It was too cold to stand still,
My back felt no burden,
The storm helped to blow me onward.

In a charcoal-burner's tiny house
I have found shelter;
But my limbs won't relax,
Their hurts burn so much.

You, too, my heart, in strife and storm
So wild and so bold,
Feel first in the silence your serpent
Stir with burning sting !

Frühlingstraum

Dream of Spring

I dreamed of many-colored flowers,
The way they bloom in May;
I dreamed of green meadows,
Of merry bird calls.

And when the roosters crowed,
My eye awakened;
It was cold and dark,
The ravens shrieked on the roof.

But on the window panes -
Who painted the leaves there ?
I suppose you'll laugh at the dreamer
Who saw flowers in winter ?

I dreamed of love reciprocated,
Of a beautiful maiden,
Of embracing and kissing,
Of joy and delight.

And when the roosters crowed,
My heart awakened;
Now I sit here alone
And reflect on the dream.

I close my eyes again,
My heart still beats so warmly.
When will you leaves on the window turn green ?
When will I hold my love in my arms ?

Einsamkeit

Wie eine trübe Wolke
Durch heit're Lüfte geht,
Wenn in der Tanne Wipfel
Ein mattes Lüftchen weht:

So zieh ich meine Straße
Dahin mit trägem Fuß,
Durch helles, frohes Leben
Einsam und ohne Gruß.

Ach, daß die Luft so ruhig !
Ach, daß die Welt so licht !
Als noch die Stürme tobten,
War ich so elend nicht.

Solitude

As a dreary cloud
Moves through the clear sky,
When in the crown of the fir tree
A faint breeze blows,

So I travel my road
Onward with sluggish feet,
Through bright, happy life,
Lonely and unrecognized.

Oh, that the air should be so still !
Oh, that the world should be so light !
When the storms still raged,
I was not so miserable.

Die Post

Von der Straße her ein Posthorn klingt.
Was hat es, daß es so hoch aufspringt,
Mein Herz ?

Die Post bringt keinen Brief für dich.
Was drängst du denn so wunderlich,
Mein Herz ?

Nun ja, die Post kommt aus der Stadt,
Wo ich ein liebes Liebchen hat,
Mein Herz !

Willst wohl einmal hinüberseh'n
Und fragen, wie es dort mag geh'n,
Mein Herz ?

The Post

From the highroad a posthorn sounds.
Why do you leap so high,
My heart ?

The post does not bring a letter for you,
Why the strange compulsion,
My heart ?

Of course, the post comes from the town,
Where I once had a dear sweetheart,
My heart !

Would you like to take a look over there,
And ask how things are going,
My heart ?

Der greise Kopf

Der Reif hatt' einen weißen Schein
Mir übers Haar gestreuet;
Da glaubt' ich schon ein Greis zu sein
Und hab' mich sehr gefreuet.

Doch bald ist er hinweggetaut,
Hab' wieder schwarze Haare,
Daß mir's vor meiner Jugend graut -
Wie weit noch bis zur Bahre !

Vom Abendrot zum Morgenlicht
Ward mancher Kopf zum Greise.
Wer glaubt's ? und meiner ward es nicht
Auf dieser ganzen Reise !

The Old-Man's Head

The frost has spread a white sheen
All over my hair;
I thought I had become an old man
And was very pleased about it.

But soon it melted away,
And now I have black hair again
So that I am horrified by my youth -
How long still to the grave !

From the sunset to the dawn
Many a head turns white.
Who can believe it ? And mine
Has not on this whole journey !

Die Krähe

Eine Krähe war mit mir
Aus der Stadt gezogen,
Ist bis heute für und für
Um mein Haupt geflogen.

Krähe, wunderliches Tier,
Willst mich nicht verlassen ?
Meinst wohl, bald als Beute hier
Meinen Leib zu fassen ?

Nun, es wird nicht weit mehr geh'n
An dem Wanderstabe.
Krähe, laß mich endlich seh'n
Treue bis zum Grabe !

The Crow

A crow has accompanied me
Since I left the town,
Until today, as ever,
It has circled over my head.

Crow, you strange creature,
Won't you ever leave me ?
Do you plan soon as booty
To have my carcase ?

Well, I won't be much longer
Wandering on the road.
Crow, let me finally see
Loyalty unto the grave !

Letzte Hoffnung

Hie und da ist an den Bäumen
Manches bunte Blatt zu seh'n,
Und ich bleibe vor den Bäumen
Oftmals in Gedanken steh'n.

Schaue nach dem einen Blatte,
Hänge meine Hoffnung dran;
Spielt der Wind mit meinem Blatte,
Zittr' ich, was ich zittern kann.

Ach, und fällt das Blatt zu Boden,
Fällt mit ihm die Hoffnung ab;
Fall' ich selber mit zu Boden,
Wein' auf meiner Hoffnung Grab.

Last Hope

Here and there on the trees
There's a colored leaf to be seen.
And I stop in front of the trees
Often, lost in thought.

I watch a particular leaf
And pin my hopes on it;
If the wind plays with my leaf
I tremble from head to foot.

Oh, and if the leaf falls to earth,
My hopes fall along with it.
I fall to earth as well
And weep on the grave of my hopes.

Im Dorfe

Es bellen die Hunde, es rasseln die Ketten;
Es schlafen die Menschen in ihren Betten,
Träumen sich manches, was sie nicht haben,
Tun sich im Guten und Argen erlaben;

Und morgen früh ist alles zerflossen.
Je nun, sie haben ihr Teil genossen
Und hoffen, was sie noch übrig ließen,
Doch wieder zu finden auf ihren Kissen.

Bellt mich nur fort, ihr wachen Hunde,
Laßt mich nicht ruh'n in der Schlummerstunde !
Ich bin zu Ende mit allen Träumen.
Was will ich unter den Schläfern säumen ?

In the Village

The dogs are barking, the chains are rattling;
The people are sleeping in their beds,
Dreaming of things they don't have,
Refreshing themselves in good and bad.

And in the morning all will have vanished.
Oh well, they had their share of pleasure
And hope that what they missed
Can be found again on their pillows.

Drive me out with your barking, you vigilant dogs,
Don't let me rest when it's time for slumber.
I am finished with all my dreams.
Why should I linger among the sleepers ?

Der stürmische Morgen

Wie hat der Sturm zerrissen
Des Himmels graues Kleid !
Die Wolkenfetzen flattern
Umher im matten Streit.

Und rote Feuerflammen
Zieh'n zwischen ihnen hin;
Das nenn' ich einen Morgen
So recht nach meinem Sinn !

Mein Herz sieht an dem Himmel
Gemalt sein eig'nes Bild -
Es ist nichts als der Winter,
Der Winter kalt und wild !

The Stormy Morning

How the storm has torn asunder
The heavens' grey cover !
The cloud tatters flutter
Around in weary strife.

And fiery red flames
Dart around among them;
That's what I call a morning
That really fits my mood !

My heart sees in the heavens
Its own image painted -
It's nothing but the winter,
Winter cold and wild !

Täuschung

Ein Licht tanzt freundlich vor mir her,
Ich folg' ihm nach die Kreuz und Quer;
Ich folg' ihm gern und seh's ihm an,
Daß es verlockt den Wandersmann.

Ach ! wer wie ich so elend ist,
Gibt gern sich hin der bunten List,
Die hinter Eis und Nacht und Graus,
Ihm weist ein helles, warmes Haus.

Und eine liebe Seele drin. -
Nur Täuschung ist für mich Gewinn !

Illusion

A light does a friendly dance before me,
I follow it here and there;
I like to follow it and watch
The way it lures the wanderer.

Ah, a man as wretched as I am
Is glad to fall for the merry trick
That, beyond ice and night and fear,
Shows him a bright, warm house.

And a loving soul within -
Only illusion lets me win !

Der Wegweiser

Was vermeid' ich denn die Wege,
Wo die ander'n Wand'rer geh'n,
Suche mir versteckte Stege,
Durch verschneite Felsenhöh'n ?

Habe ja doch nichts begangen,
Daß ich Menschen sollte scheu'n, -
Welch ein törichtes Verlangen
Treibt mich in die Wüstenei'n ?

Weiser stehen auf den Straßen,
Weisen auf die Städte zu.
Und ich wandre sonder Maßen
Ohne Ruh' und suche Ruh'.

Einen Weiser seh' ich stehen
Unverrückt vor meinem Blick;
Eine Straße muß ich gehen,
Die noch keiner ging zurück.

The Sign Post

Why then do I avoid the highways
Where the other travelers go,
Search out the hidden pathways
Through the snowy mountain tops ?

I've committed no crime
That I should hide from other men -
What is the foolish compulsion
That drives me into desolation ?

Signposts stand along the highways
Pointing to the cities,
And I wander ever further
Without rest and look for rest.

Before me I see a signpost standing
Fixed before my gaze.
I must travel a road
From which no one ever returned.

Das Wirtshaus

Auf einen Totenacker
Hat mich mein Weg gebracht;
Allhier will ich einkehren,
Hab ich bei mir gedacht.

Ihr grünen Totenkränze
Könnt wohl die Zeichen sein,
Die müde Wand'rer laden
Ins kühle Wirtshaus ein.

Sind denn in diesem Hause
Die Kammern all' besetzt ?
Bin matt zum Niedersinken,
Bin tödlich schwer verletzt.

O unbarmherz'ge Schenke,
Doch weisest du mich ab ?
Nun weiter denn, nur weiter,
Mein treuer Wanderstab !

The Inn

My way has led me to a graveyard;
Here I'll stop, I told myself.

You green mourning garlands must be the sign
That invites weary travelers into the cool inn.

What, all the rooms in this house are full ?
I'm tired enough to drop, have taken mortal hurt.

Oh, merciless inn, you turn me away ?
Well, onward then, still further, my loyal walking staff !

Mut

Fliegt der Schnee mir ins Gesicht,
Schüttl' ich ihn herunter.
Wenn mein Herz im Busen spricht,
Sing' ich hell und munter.

Höre nicht, was es mir sagt,
Habe keine Ohren;
Fühle nicht, was es mir klagt,
Klagen ist für Toren.

Lustig in die Welt hinein
Gegen Wind und Wetter !
Will kein Gott auf Erden sein,
Sind wir selber Götter !

Courage

If the snow flies in my face,
I shake it off again.
When my heart speaks in my breast,
I sing loudly and gaily.

I don't hear what it says to me,
I have no ears to listen;
I don't feel when it laments,
Complaining is for fools.

Happy through the world along
Facing wind and weather !
If there's no God upon the earth,
Then we ourselves are Gods !

Die Nebensonnen

Drei Sonnen sah ich am Himmel steh'n,
Hab' lang und fest sie angeseh'n;
Und sie auch standen da so stier,
Als wollten sie nicht weg von mir.

Ach, meine Sonnen seid ihr nicht !
Schaut ander'n doch ins Angesicht !
Ja, neulich hatt' ich auch wohl drei;
Nun sind hinab die besten zwei.

Ging nur die dritt' erst hinterdrein !
Im Dunkel wird mir wohler sein.

The False Suns

I saw three suns in the sky,
Stared at them hard for a long time;
And they stayed there so stubbornly
That it seemed they didn't want to leave me.

Ah, you are not my suns !
Go, look into someone else's face !
Yes, recently I, too, had three
But now the best two have gone down.

If only the third would also set !
I will feel better in the dark.

Der Leiermann

Drüben hinterm Dorfe
Steht ein Leiermann
Und mit starren Fingern
Dreht er was er kann.

Barfuß auf dem Eise
Wankt er hin und her
Und sein kleiner Teller
Bleibt ihm immer leer.

Keiner mag ihn hören,
Keiner sieht ihn an,
Und die Hunde knurren
Um den alten Mann.

Und er läßt es gehen,
Alles wie es will,
Dreht, und seine Leier
Steht ihm nimmer still.

Wunderlicher Alter !
Soll ich mit dir geh'n ?
Willst zu meinen Liedern
Deine Leier dreh'n ?

The Hurdy-Gurdy Man

Over there beyond the village
Stands an organ-grinder,
And with numb fingers
He plays as best he can.

Barefoot on the ice,
He totters here and there,
And his little plate
Is always empty.

No one listens to him,
No one notices him,
And the dogs growl
Around the old man.

And he just lets it happen,
As it will,
Plays, and his hurdy-gurdy
Is never still.

Strange old man,
Shall I go with you ?
Will you play your organ
To my songs ?