Winterreise

1. Good Night
I came here a stranger,
As a stranger I depart.
May favored me
With 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 way
In this darkness.
A shadow of the moon travels
With me as my companion,
And upon the white fields
I seek the deers track.
Why should I stay here any longer
So that people 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.
2. The Weathervane
The wind plays the weathervane,
On my lovely darling's house.
And I thought in my delusion,
That 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.
3. 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 cold 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!
4. 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 the green grass?
The flowers are all dead,
The turf is so pale.
Shall then no memento 
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 melt away, too!
5. 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 depths of night.
And its branches rustled,
As if they called me:
Come 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!
6. Flood Water
Many a tear from my eyes
Has falling 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 will 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 towns with it,
In and out of the busy streets;
When you feel my tears burning,
There is my sweetheart's house.
7. 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?
8. A Look Backward 
It's burning 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 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 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.
9. 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 a 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.
And every sorrow to its grave.
10. 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 to rest,
It was too cold to stand still,
My back felt no burden,
The storm helped me 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!
11. 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 the 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 beats so warmly.
When will you leaves on the window turn green?
When will I hold my love in my arms?
Category:Poetry