The siren, bright and beautiful today
(These flights of mine that ever flew away …)
Dare it now shatter with a drunken wing
This hard, forgotten lake
(This ice does cling!)
When the child’s brow
With torment flushing red
Implores white dreams to shed their hazy veils
Two sisters, tall and fair, approach his bed
Whose fingers glint with silver-colored nails
The bored rain god spills his irritation over
Darkening the whole city with an icy shower
Comes the charming evening
Comes conspirator like on soft wolf tread
The handsome knave of hearts and the queen of spades
In cynical communion, review their defunct amours
As they laugh and twirl
Round the feet of a girl
Like the spring
The siren, bright and beautiful today (These flights of mine that ever flew away …) Dare it now shatter with a drunken wing This hard, forgotten lake (This ice does cling!)
When the child’s brow With torment flushing red Implores white dreams to shed their hazy veils Two sisters, tall and fair, approach his bed Whose fingers glint with silver-colored nails The bored rain god spills his irritation over Darkening the whole city with an icy shower
Comes the charming evening Comes conspirator like on soft wolf tread
The handsome knave of hearts and the queen of spades In cynical communion, review their defunct amours As they laugh and twirl Round the feet of a girl Like the spring
His whole life, he had loved to read …
[paraphrased poetry