Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PICTURES OF TRAVEL: THE BALTIC, PART 2: 5. THE SONG OF THE OCEANIDES, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PICTURES OF TRAVEL: THE BALTIC, PART 2: 5. THE SONG OF THE OCEANIDES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Shadows of evening o'er ocean are falling
Last Line: And long I sat in the darkness, with weeping.
Subject(s): Love; Sailing & Sailors; Sea; Seamen; Sails; Ocean


SHADOWS of evening o'er ocean are falling,
And lonely, with none but his lonely soul with him,
Sits there a man on the dreary strand,
And looks, with death-chilly look, up on high
Tow'rd the spacious, death-chilly vault of heaven,
And looks on the spacious billowy main,
And over the spacious billowy main
Like airy sailors, his signs are floating,
Returning again despondingly,
For they have found fast closed the heart
Wherein they fain would anchor --
And he groans so loud, that the snowy sea-mews,
Startled away from their sandy nests,
Flutter around him in flocks,
And he speaks unto them these laughing words:

"Ye black-legged birds,
"With snowy pinions o'er the sea fluttering,
"With crooked beaks the sea-water sucking up,
"And train-oily seal's flesh devouring,
"Your life is bitter as is your food!
"But I, the happy one, taste nought but sweetness!
"I taste the rose's sweet exhalation,
"The moonlight nourished bride of the nightingale;
"I taste, too, the sweetness of all things:
"Loving and being loved!

"She loves me! she loves me! the beauteous maiden!
"Now stands she at home in her house's high balcony,
"And looks in the twilight abroad, o'er the highway,
"And darkens, and for me doth yearn -- I assure you!
"In vain she looketh around and she sigheth,
"And sighing descends she down to the garden,
"And wanders in fragrance and moonlight,
"And speaks to the flowers and telleth them
"How I, the beloved one, so precious am,
"So worthy of love -- I assure you!
'And then in bed, in slumber, in dream,
"My darling form around her sports blissfully,
"And then at morning at breakfast
"Upon her glistening bread and butter
"Sees she my countenance smiling,
"And she eats it for love -- I assure you!"

Thus is he boasting and boasting,
And betweentimes the sea-mews are screaming,
Like old ironical chuckling;
The mists of twilight rise up on high;
Out of the violet clouds, all-gloomily,
Peepeth the grass-yellow moon;
High are roaring the billows of ocean,
And from the depths of the high-roaring sea,
Mournful as whispering gales of wind,
Soundeth the song of the Oceanides,
The beauteous compassionate sea-nymphs,
And loudest of all the voice so enthralling
Of Peleus' spouse, the silvery-footed one,
And they're sighing and singing:

"O fool, thou fool! thou hectoring fool!
"Thou sorrow-tormented one!
"Cruelly murder'd are all thy bright hopes,
"Thy bosom's frolicsome children,
"And ah! thy heart, thy Niobe-heart
"Through grief turn'd to stone!
"Within thy head 'tis now night,
"And through it are flashing the lightnings of frenzy,
"And thou boastest of sorrow!
"O fool, thou fool! thou hectoring fool!
"Headstrong art thou as thy forefather,
"The lofty Titan, who heavenly fire
"Stole from the gods and gave unto mortals,
"And, vulture-tormented, chain'd to the rock,
"Defied e'en Olympus, defied, groaning loudly,
"So that in ocean's far depths did we hear it,
"And to him came with a comforting song.
"O fool, thou fool! thou hectoring fool!
"But thou art more powerless even than he,
"And thou would'st do well to honour the deities,
"And patiently bear the burden of sorrow,
"And patiently bear with it, long, ay, full long,
"Till Atlas himself his patience hath lost,
"And the heavy world from his shoulders throws off
"Into eternal night."

Thus sounded the song of the Oceanides,
The beauteous compassionate water-nymphs,
Till still louder billows at last overpower'd it --
Then went the moon in the rear of the clouds,
And night 'gan to yawn,
And long I sat in the darkness, with weeping.





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