Poems (Schiller)/A song to sleep
A SONG TO SLEEP
Come, gentle sleep, on silver pinions soon
Wing here thy way, for later grows the night;
Veil from my eyes the lustrous golden moon,
That floods my chamber with its yellow light.
Wing here thy way, for later grows the night;
Veil from my eyes the lustrous golden moon,
That floods my chamber with its yellow light.
Bring me forgetfulness of daily care,
Unconsciousness of shadows that oppress,
And when thou givest visions, kindly spare
The scenes whose vain recalling doth distress.
Unconsciousness of shadows that oppress,
And when thou givest visions, kindly spare
The scenes whose vain recalling doth distress.
But let me freely rove in lands that lie
Afar beyond the island-studded sea,
From where the hardy north-pines tower high,
To the luxuriant blooms of tropic lea.
Afar beyond the island-studded sea,
From where the hardy north-pines tower high,
To the luxuriant blooms of tropic lea.
'Twill only be in dreams, yet let my feet
Press the green sod of far-famed Switzerland;
And let me see the sennhuts[1] resting sweet
High on the Alpine mountains, tall and grand.
Press the green sod of far-famed Switzerland;
And let me see the sennhuts[1] resting sweet
High on the Alpine mountains, tall and grand.
And let me tread that nursury of art—
The Rome that sat upon her seven hlils—
And Athens, where Aspasia played her part,
And woke in Pericles passionate thrills.
The Rome that sat upon her seven hlils—
And Athens, where Aspasia played her part,
And woke in Pericles passionate thrills.
And Palestine! Ah, I would not forget
Her sacred hills, and vales, and shining streams;
Her dim old towns and blue Genessaret,
But pray they may be imaged in my dreams.
Her sacred hills, and vales, and shining streams;
Her dim old towns and blue Genessaret,
But pray they may be imaged in my dreams.
Then hasten, sleep, on silver pinions soon
Wing here thy way, for later grows the night;
Veil from my eyes the lustrous golden moon,
That floods my chamber with its yellow light.
September, 1870.
Wing here thy way, for later grows the night;
Veil from my eyes the lustrous golden moon,
That floods my chamber with its yellow light.
September, 1870.
- ↑ Sennhuts—The huts of the Swiss cow-herdsmen.