The Lake

The Lake Water lilies load all over The blue lake amid the woods, That imparts, while in white circles Startling, to a boat its moods. And along the strands I'm passing Listening, waiting, in unrest, That she from the reeds may issue And fall, gently, on my breast; That we may jump in the little Boat, while water's voices whelm All our feelings; that enchanted I may drop my oars and helm; That all charmed we may be floating While moon's kindly light surrounds

Us, winds cause the reeds to rustle And the waving water sounds. But she does not come; abandoned, Vainly I endure and sigh Lonely, as the water lilies On the blue lake ever lie. Sleepy birds All those sleepy birds Now tired from flight Hide among the leaves Good-night! Only the spring whispers When the wood sleeps silently; Even flowers in the gardens Sleep peacefully! Swans glide to their nest

Sheltering among the reeds May angels guard your rest, Sweet dreams! Above a night of sorcery Comes the moon's graceful light, All is peace and harmony Good-night! O Remain "O remain, dear one, I love you, Stay with me in my fair land, For your dreamings and your longings Only I can understand. You, who like a prince reclining Over the pool with heaven starred; You who gaze up from the water With such earnest deep regard. Stay, for where the lapping wavelets Shake the tall and tasseled grass, I will make you hear in secret How the furtive chamois pass.

Oh, I see you wrapped in magic, Hear your murmur low and sweet, As you breqk the shallow water With your slender naked feet; See you thus amidst the ripples Which the moon's pale beams engage, And your years seem but an instant, And each instant seems an age." Thus spake the woods in soft entreaty; Arching boughs above me bent, But I whistled high, and laughing Out into the open went. Now though even I roamed that country How could I its charm recall ... Where has boyhood gone, I wonder, With its pool and woods and all? And If... And if the branches tap my pane And the poplars whisper nightly,

It is to make me dream again I hold you to me tightly. And if the stars shine on the pond And light its sombre shoal, It is to quench my mind's despond And flood with peace my soul. And if the clouds their tresses part And does the moon outblaze, It is but to remind my heart I long for you always. Down Where The Lonely Poplars Grow Down where the lonely poplars grow How often have I erred; My steps that all the neighbours know You only have not heard. Towards your window lighted through How oft my gaze has flown; A world entire my secret knew You only have not known. A word, a murmur of reply How often did I pray!

What matters then if I should die, Enough to live that day; To know one hour of tenderness, One hour of lovers' night; To hear you whisper's soft caress One hour, then come what might! Had you but granted me a glance That was not filles with scorn, Out of its shinning radiance A new star hab been born. You would have lived through lives untold Beyond the ends of time; O deity with arms so cold, O marble form sublime! An idol of some pagan lore As now no more is seen, Come down to us from times yore, From times that long have been. My worship was of ages gone, Sad eyes by faith beguiled,

Each generation handed on From father unto child. But now I very little care To walk along that lane, Nor heed the face I found so fair Looks out for me in vain; For you are like them today In bearing and in guise, And I but look on your display With cold and lifeless eyes. You should have known to value right With wondering intent, And lit your candela at night To Love that God had sent. One Wish Alone Have I One wish alone have I: In some calm land Beside the sea to die; Upon its strand That I forever sleep, The forest near, A heaven near,

Stretched over the peaceful deep. No candles shine, Nor tomb I need, instead Let them for me a bed Of twigs entwine. That no one weeps my end, Nor for me grieves, But let the autumn lend Tongues to the leaves, When brooklet ripples fall With murmuring sound, And moon is found Among the pine-trees tall, While softly rings The wind its trembling chime And over me the lime Its blossom flings. As I will then no more A wanderer be, Let them with fondness store My memory. And Lucifer the while, Above the pine.

Good comrade mine, Will on me gently smile; In mournful mood, The sea sings sad refrain ... And I be earth again In solitude. Time flows by... Time flows by, and has passed like rivers Since that hallowed moment we first saw each other, Yet I'll never forget the love we had together, You miracle, with large eyes and cold fingers. Oh, come back! To bring words only you can inspire, Watch over me so your gaze gently lingers, Let me marvel at this moment that hungers

For those new words you wring from my lyre. You're not even aware that when you're near A great peace descends to quell my agony, Just like the silence at the rising of a star; If I could only see you like a child, smiling up at me, All the suffering of my life would disappear, My eyes rekindle, my soul grow within me. Eve On The Hill Dreary the horn sounds in the eve on the hill, Sheepflocks return, stars on their way twinkle still,

Watersprings weep murmuring clear, and I see Under a tree, love, thou art waiting for me. Holy and pure passes the moon on the sky, Moist seem the stars born from the vault clear and high, Longing thine eyes look from afar to divine, Heaving thy breast, pensive thy head doth recline. Tired with their toil, peasants come back from the field, From the old church, labourer's comfort and shield, Voices of bells thrill the whole sky high above; Struck is my heart, trembling and burning with love.

Ah! very soon quietness steals over all, Ah! very soon hasten shall I to thy call, Under the tree, there I shall sit the whole night, Telling thee, love, thou art my only delight. Cheek press'd to cheek, there in sweet ecstasy we, Falling asleep under the old locusttree, Smiling in dream, seem in a heaven to live, For such a night who his whole life would not give? Years have trailed past... Years have trailed past like clouds over a country, And they'll never return, for they're gone forever,

And I no longer enjoy such light endeavour As the magic of folk songs or the land of faery Which as a child filled me with wonder, Not quite understood yet meaning so much to me, And now these shadows try to recapture me In this hour of mystery, this twilight hour. These trembling fingers touch the strings in vain To find the right notes from the fading memory Of youth, so that my soul can vibrate again. Everything's disappeared from the horizon of that distant plain

And you can no longer hear the voice of past harmony. Behind me time gathers . . . and I darken! Desire Come now to the forest's spring Running wrinkling over the stones, To where lush and grassy furrows Hide away in curving boughs. Then you can run to my open arms, Be held once more in my embrace, I'll gently lift that veil of yours To gaze again upon your face. And then you can sit upon my knee, We'll be all alone, alone there, While the lime tree thrilled with rapture Showers blossoms on your hair.

Your white brow with those golden curls Will slowly draw near to be kissed, Yielding as prey to my greedy mouth Those sweet, red, cherry lips . . . We'll dream only happy dreams Echoed by wind's song in the trees, The murmur of the lonely spring, The caressing touch of the gentle breeze. And drowsy with this harmony Of a forest bowed deep as in prayer, Lime-tree petals that hang above us Will fall sifting higher and higher.