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Translated by Mary Howitt
THE GLORIOUS summer sun already leaneth | |
| Towards distant lands, and that resplendent glow | |
| Which, late at eve, flamed upward to the zenith, | |
| No longer now the Norland fields shall know. | |
| And wood and mead, which, in their vernal gladness, | 5 |
| Laughed out to man beneath the azure sky, | |
| Stand wan and sere, and clouds weep tears of sadness, | |
| And even the little birds sit silent by. | |
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| Yet still how gratefully my memory treasures | |
| The lovely peace of each sweet summer day, | 10 |
| When heaven itself brought down to earth its pleasures, | |
| And winds their warfare changed to merry play; | |
| When flowers sent up their offering of sweetness, | |
| As incense to the God of day and night, | |
| And lifted to the sun their fair completeness | 15 |
| Obedient to the holy law of light. | |
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| But all, alas! on earth is transitory, | |
| And laughter changes soon to sorrow’s tear; | |
| As the green herb, anon, foregoes its glory, | |
| So man advances onward to his bier. | 20 |
| Yet if the faithful heart have kept in clearness | |
| The sunny moments of the passing day, | |
| Still shall they cast amidst autumnal drearness | |
| Of the lost summer a surviving ray. | |
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| Thus muse I, as my fond farewell is spoken, | 25 |
| Thou loveliest pearl beside the Mälar coast. | |
| Nor shall sweet memory’s bond ’twixt us be broken, | |
| Where’er my bark on life’s rough sea be tossed! | |
| To thee my heart will yearn when sorrow shroudeth | |
| My world of thought and all is dark as night; | 30 |
| And if thick mist the future overcloudeth, | |
| I will ascend unto the past delight. | |
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| Farewell, ye hills and valleys, groves and meadows, | |
| Where Flora scattered all her pomp abroad, | |
| And elves amidst the full moon’s lights and shadows | 35 |
| Traced magic rings in dances on the sward; | |
| Thou shore, reed-garlanded, where softly stringing | |
| His harp at eve the Necken charms the scene; | |
| Thou wood, made musical with wild birds’ singing, | |
| And waters lapsing through the leafy screen. | 40 |
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| Farewell, thou starry eve, so oft reflected | |
| In the still waters, where my light bark drove | |
| The downward depth which still my gaze rejected, | |
| Turning instead unto the heaven above; | |
| Have thanks for all the quiet joy supernal, | 45 |
| Which in my heart’s recess by thee was laid, | |
| The whilst thy azure vault of truth eternal | |
| Expanded as a blessing, o’er my head! | |
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| Farewell, thou lovely scene! The heart’s deep feeling | |
| Gives forth these accents of my parting song! | 50 |
| Yet thou in memory wilt be sorrow’s healing, | |
| And speed the mournful winter night along; | |
| I ’ll think of thee when autumn fogs are glooming, | |
| O Drottningholm! for still thy sun will shine: | |
| Thou art to me in every season blooming, | 55 |
| And peaceful lilies round thy name entwine! | |
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