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Translated by C. G. Leland
“HEAR’ST thou not far music ringing, | |
| Viol sweet, and organ sounding? | |
| Many a lovely form is springing, | |
| In yon elf-dance flitting, bounding.” | |
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| “How, my friend? your mind must wander, | 5 |
| Or my hearing ’s strangely blunted: | |
| I can hear no fiddling yonder; | |
| Only swine which just now grunted.” | |
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| “Hear’st thou not the bugle pealing? | |
| Hunters blithe through greenwood straying, | 10 |
| Lambs I see o’er meadows stealing, | |
| Shepherds on their reed pipes playing.” | |
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| “Ah, my friend, your ears are humming: | |
| There ’s no pipe or bugle pealing; | |
| I but see a swineherd coming, | 15 |
| And before him pigs a-squealing.” | |
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| “Hear’st thou not melodious measure, | |
| As a strife of voices singing? | |
| Angels hear it, rapt in pleasure, | |
| Beating time on pinions swinging.” | 20 |
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| “That which seemed to you so pleasant | |
| Was no heavenly minstrels’ striving; | |
| Friend, it ’s just a little peasant | |
| Singing as his geese he ’s driving!” | |
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| “Hear’st thou church-bells as if talking, | 25 |
| Sweetly, strangely, wildly flowing? | |
| See the congregation walking, | |
| Calmly to the chapel going!” | |
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| “Ah, my friend, it ’s but the tinkling | |
| From the distant cow-bells given, | 30 |
| As the kine, by starlight twinkling, | |
| Slowly to their stalls are driven.” | |
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| “See yon fluttering veil,—O, wonder! | |
| See,—a beckoning form advances! | |
| ’T is my loved one standing yonder, | 35 |
| Tearful sorrow in her glances!” | |
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| “Ah, my friend, she who approaches | |
| Is Old Liz, from the wood’s shadow; | |
| Pale and tottering on her crutches, | |
| She goes limping towards the meadow.” | 40 |
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| “Smile, dear friend, that so I borrow | |
| Forms for such fantastic seeming: | |
| O that all my heart’s deep sorrow | |
| Thou couldst turn to idle dreaming!” | |
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