Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume VI. Fancy. 1904. | | | | Poems of Fancy: II. Fairies: Elves: Sprites | | The Lore-Lei | | Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) |
| | Anonymous translation from the German |
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I KNOW not whence it rises, | |
| This thought so full of woe;— | |
| But a tale of times departed | |
| Haunts me—and will not go. | |
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| The air is cool, and it darkens, | 5 |
| And calmly flows the Rhine; | |
| The mountain peaks are sparkling | |
| In the sunny evening-shine. | |
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| And yonder sits a maiden, | |
| The fairest of the fair; | 10 |
| With gold is her garment glittering, | |
| And she combs her golden hair. | |
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| With a golden comb she combs it, | |
| And a wild song singeth she, | |
| That melts the heart with a wondrous | 15 |
| And powerful melody. | |
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| The boatman feels his bosom | |
| With a nameless longing move; | |
| He sees not the gulfs before him, | |
| His gaze is fixed above, | 20 |
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| Till over boat and boatman | |
| The Rhine’s deep waters run; | |
| And this with her magic singing | |
| The Lore-Lei hath done! | | | |
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