Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PICTURES OF TRAVEL: THE BALTIC, PART 1: 7. IN THE CABIN AT NIGHT, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PICTURES OF TRAVEL: THE BALTIC, PART 1: 7. IN THE CABIN AT NIGHT, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: The sea its pearls possesseth
Last Line: In calm and radiant but excessive love.
Subject(s): Hearts; Love; Sea; Tears; Ocean


THE sea its pearls possesseth,
And heaven its stars containeth,
But, O my heart, my heart,
My heart its love hath also.

Vast is the sea and the heavens,
Yet vaster is my heart,
And fairer than pearls or the stars
Glitt'reth and beameth my love.

Thou little youthful maiden,
Come to my heart so vast;
My heart and the sea and the heavens
For very love are dying.

* * * *

'Gainst the azure veil of heaven,
Where the beauteous stars are twinkling,
Fain I'd press my lips with ardour,
Press them wildly, madly weeping.

Yonder stars the very eyes are
Of my loved one, thousand-changing
Glimmer they and greet me kindly
From the azure veil of heaven.

Tow'rd the azure veil of heaven,
Tow'rd the eyes of my beloved one,
Lift I up my arms in worship,
And I pray, and thus beseech them:

Beauteous eyes, ye lights of mercy,
O make happy my poor spirit,
Let me die, and as my guerdon,
Win both you and all your heaven!

* * * *

From those heavenly eyes above me
Light and trembling sparks are falling
Through the night, and then my spirit
Loving-wide and wider stretcheth.

O ye heavenly eyes above me!
Weep yourselves into my spirit,
That my spirit may run over
With those tears so sweet and starry!

* * * *

Cradled by the ocean billows,
And by thoughts that seem like visions,
Silent lie I in the cabin,
In the dark bed in the corner.

Through the open hatchway see I
There on high the stars all-radiant,
Those sweet eyes so dearly cherish'd
Of my sweet and dearly loved one.

Those sweet eyes so dearly cherish'd
Far above my head are watching,
And they tinkle and they beckon
From the azure veil of heaven.

Tow'rd the azure veil of heaven
Gaze I many an hour with rapture,
Till a white and misty curtain
From me hides those eyes so cherish'd.

'Gainst the boarded side of the ship,
Where my dreaming head is lying,
Rave the billows, the furious billows.
They roar and they murmur
Thus soft in my ear:

"O foolish young fellow!
"Thine arm is short, and the heavens are wide,
"And yonder stars are firmly nailed there;
"In vain is thy yearning, in vain is thy sighing,
"The best thou can'st do is to sleep!"

* * * *

I dreamt, and dreaming saw a spacious heath,
Far overspread with white, with whitest snow,
And 'neath that white snow buried I was lying,
And slept the lonesome, chilly sleep of death.

Yet from on high, from out the darkling heavens,
Look'd down upon my grave those eyes all-starry,
Those eyes so sweet! In triumph they were gleaming,
In calm and radiant but excessive love.





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