Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE MEETING, by HEINRICH HEINE



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE MEETING, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: The music under the linden-tree sounds
Last Line: And shun now the sight of each other.
Subject(s): Music & Musicians; Nymphs; Youth


THE music under the linden-tree sounds,
The boys and the maidens dance lightly;
Amongst them two dance, whom nobody knows,
Of figures noble and sightly.

They float about here, they float about there,
In a way that strange habits expresses;
They smile at each other, they shake their heads,
The maiden the youth thus addresses:

"My handsome youth, upon thy hat
"There nods a lily splendid,
"That only grows in the depths of the sea, --
"From Adam thou art not descended.

"The Kelpie art thou, who the fair village maids
"Would'st allure with thy arts of seduction;
"I knew thee at once, at the very first sight,
"By thy teeth of fish-like construction."

They float about here, they float about there,
In a way that strange habits expresses;
They smile at each other, they shake their heads,
The youth the maid thus addresses:

"My handsome maiden, tell me why
"Thy hand so icy cold is?
"And tell me why thy snow-white dress
"So moist in every fold is?

"I knew thee at once, at the very first sight,
"By thy bantering salutation;
"Thou art no mortal child of man,
"But the water-nymph, my relation."

The fiddles are silent, and finish'd the dance,
They part like sister and brother,
They know each other only too well,
And shun now the sight of each other.





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