Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, LYRICAL INTERLUDE: 69, by HEINRICH HEINE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

LYRICAL INTERLUDE: 69, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Night lay upon mine eyelids
Last Line: And lo! -- from sleep I woke.
Subject(s): Dreams; Eyes; Graves; Hair; Night; Nightmares; Tombs; Tombstones; Bedtime


NIGHT lay upon mine eyelids,
Upon my mouth lay lead;
I in my grave was lying.
With frozen heart and head.

How long it was I know not
That I in slumber lay;
I woke and heard a knocking
Upon my grave one day.

"Wilt thou not rise up, Henry?
"The Judgment Day is this,
"The dead have all arisen,
"To taste of endless bliss."

I cannot rise, my darling,
For I have lost my sight;
Mine eyes, through very weeping,
Are veil'd in darkest night.

"I'll kiss away the darkness,
"My Henry, from thine eyes;
"The angels shalt thou see then,
"The glory of the skies."

I cannot rise, my darling,
The wound is bleeding yet,
Made by thee in my bosom
With one sharp word and threat.

"My hand all gently, Henry,
"I'll lay upon thy heart;
'It then will bleed no longer,
"And heal'd will be the smart."

I cannot rise, my darling,
My head still bleeds amain!
'Twas there the bullet enter'd,
When thou wert from me ta'en.

"With my long tresses, Henry,
"I'll stanch the bleeding wound,
"And drive the blood-stream backwards,
"And make thy head thus sound."

So gently, sweetly pray'd she,
I could not spurn her prayer;
I sought to rise and hasten
To join my mistress fair.

Then all my wounds 'gan bleeding,
Then, wildly rushing, broke
From head and breast the bloodstream,
And lo! -- from sleep I woke.





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