 | Rhymes of travel, ballads and poems |  |
130
RE-UNION.
FROM THE GERMAN OF KARL CHRISTIAN TENNER.
The sun descends—in the chamber
Sit father and mother and boy;
So fondly in love united,
Their hearts run over with joy.
Sit father and mother and boy;
So fondly in love united,
Their hearts run over with joy.
The sun descends—at the portal
What may the knocking be?
Knocking and quietly calling:
“Come, father, come to me!”
What may the knocking be?
Knocking and quietly calling:
“Come, father, come to me!”
The sun descends—and the father
Struggles with fevered pain,
Clasping the mournful mother
And trembling child in vain.
Struggles with fevered pain,
Clasping the mournful mother
And trembling child in vain.
The sun descends—at the portal
What may the knocking be?
Knocking and quietly calling:
“Come, mother, come to me!”
What may the knocking be?
131
“Come, mother, come to me!”
The sun descends—and the mother
Holdeth the boy to her heart,
Closely and warm, as if never
Her fond embrace would part.
Holdeth the boy to her heart,
Closely and warm, as if never
Her fond embrace would part.
The sun descends—there's a whisper
In the leaves of the threshold-tree,
Sadly and quietly calling:
“Come, brother, come to me!”
In the leaves of the threshold-tree,
Sadly and quietly calling:
“Come, brother, come to me!”
The sun descends—and smileth
The boy in the fading beam;
And, folding his small hands meekly,
He sinks to a peaceful dream.
The boy in the fading beam;
And, folding his small hands meekly,
He sinks to a peaceful dream.
The sun descends—in the chamber
'Tis silent, as ne'er before:
There echo the dear home-voices
From lips of love no more.
'Tis silent, as ne'er before:
There echo the dear home-voices
From lips of love no more.
The sun descends—in the darkness
The night-wind, cold and wild,
Sweeps over the gleaming grave-stones
Of father and mother and child.
The night-wind, cold and wild,
Sweeps over the gleaming grave-stones
Of father and mother and child.
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