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Anonymous translation
THOU by the strand dost wander,— | |
| Yet here, O stranger, stay! | |
| Turn towards the island yonder, | |
| And listen to my lay: | |
| Thy every meditation | 5 |
| Bid thither, thither haste; | |
| A castle had its station | |
| On yon banks ages past. | |
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| In long-past days in glory | |
| It stood, and grandeur sheen; | 10 |
| Now—’t was so transitory— | |
| Its ruins scarce are seen. | |
| But it in ancient tide was | |
| For height and size renowned, | |
| It seen from every side was | 15 |
| Uprising from the ground. | |
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| For no sea-king intended, | |
| I ween, was yonder hold; | |
| Urania! it ascended | |
| In praise of thee so bold. | 20 |
| Close by the ocean roaring, | |
| Far, far from mortal jars, | |
| It stood towards heaven soaring, | |
| And towards the little stars. | |
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| A gate in the wall eastward | 25 |
| Showed like a mighty mouth; | |
| There was another westward, | |
| And spires stood north and south. | |
| The castle dome, high rearing | |
| Itself, a spirelet bore, | 30 |
| Where stood, ’fore the wind veering, | |
| A Pegasus, gilt o’er. | |
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| Towers, which the sight astounded, | |
| In north and south were placed, | |
| Upon strong pillars founded, | 35 |
| And both with galleries graced. | |
| And there they caught attention | |
| Of all, who thither strolled, | |
| Quadrants of large dimension, | |
| And spheres in flames that rolled. | 40 |
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| One, from the castle staring, | |
| Across the island spied | |
| The woods, green foliage bearing, | |
| And ocean’s bluey tide. | |
| The halls the sight enchanted, | 45 |
| With colors bright of blee; | |
| The gardens they were planted | |
| With many a flower and tree. | |
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| When down came night careering, | |
| And vanished was the sun, | 50 |
| The stars were seen appearing | |
| All heaven’s arch upon. | |
| Far, far was heard the yelling | |
| (When one thereto gave heed) | |
| Of those who watched the dwelling, | 55 |
| Four hounds of mastiff breed. | |
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| The good knight ceased to walk on | |
| The fields of war and gore; | |
| His helm and sword the balk on | |
| He hung, to use no more. | 60 |
| From earth, its woe and riot, | |
| His mind had taken flight, | |
| When in his chamber quiet | |
| He sat at depth of night. | |
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| Then he his eye erected | 65 |
| Into the night so far, | |
| And keen the course inspected | |
| Of every twinkling star; | |
| The stars his fame transported | |
| Wide over sea and land; | 70 |
| And kings his friendship courted, | |
| And sought his islet’s strand. | |
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| But the stars pointed serious | |
| To other countries’ track; | |
| His fate called him imperious; | 75 |
| He went, and came not back. | |
| The haughty walls, through sorrow, | |
| Have long since sunken low; | |
| The heavy ploughshares furrow | |
| Thy house, Urania! now. | 80 |
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| Each time the sun is sinking, | |
| It friendly looks on Hveen; | |
| Its rays there linger, thinking | |
| On what that place has been. | |
| The moon hastes, melancholy, | 85 |
| Past, past her coast so dear; | |
| And in love’s pleasure holy | |
| Shines Freya’s starlet clear: | |
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| Then suddenly takes to heaving | |
| Of that same ruin old | 90 |
| The basis deep, believing, | |
| Some evening,—’t is oft told,— | |
| For many moments, gladly, | |
| ’T would rise up from the mould;— | |
| It may not; so it sadly | 95 |
| Sinks in Death’s slumber cold. | |
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