Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Germany: Vols. XVII–XVIII. 1876–79. | | | | Tübingen | | The Water Sprite | | Andreas Justinus Kerner (1786–1862) |
| | Translated by A. Baskerville
IT was in the balmy glow of May, | |
| The maidens of Tübingen danced so gay. | |
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| They danced, and danced right merrily, | |
| In the verdant vale, round the linden-tree. | |
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| A youthful stranger, proudly arrayed, | 5 |
| Soon bent his steps to the fairest maid. | |
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| To the jocund dance the maid he led, | |
| A sea-green wreath he placed on her head. | |
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| “Fair youth, O, wherefore so cold thy arm?” | |
| In the depths of the Neckar it is not warm. | 10 |
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| “Fair youth, O, why is thy hand so white?” | |
| The wave is ne’er pierced by the sun’s bright light. | |
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| With the maiden he dances far from the tree, | |
| “O youth, let me go, my mother hails me!” | |
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| He danced with her to the Neckar’s shore, | 15 |
| She trembling cried, “O youth, no more!” | |
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| He slung his arms round the maid, and cried, | |
| “Fair maiden, thou art the water-sprite’s bride!” | |
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| He danced with her down into the wave, | |
| “O, save me, dear father,—O mother, save!” | 20 |
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| To a crystal hall he conducted the maid, | |
| “Farewell, ye sisters in the green glade!” | | | | |
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