Five songs , opus 5

Müder Glanz der Sonne!
Blasses Himmelblau!
Von verklungner Wonne
Träumet still die Au.

An der letzten Rose
Löset lebenssatt
Sich das letzte lose,
Bleiche Blumenblatt.

Goldenes Entfärben
Schleicht sich durch den Hain;
Auch Vergehn'n und Sterben
Däucht mir süß zu sein.

À quoi bon entendre
Les oiseaux des bois ?
L'oiseau le plus tendre
Chante dans ta voix.

Que Dieu montre ou voile
Les astres des cieux !
La plus pure étoile
Brille dans tes yeux.

Qu'avril renouvelle
Le jardin en fleur !
La fleur la plus belle
Fleurit dans ton cœur.

Cet oiseau de flamme,
Cet astre du jour,
Cette fleur de l'âme,
S'appelle l'amour !

'Twas April; 'twas Sunday: the day was fair, --
Yes! sunny and fair.
  And how happy was I!
You wore the white dress you loved to wear;
And two little flowers were hid in your hair --
Yes; in your hair, --
  On that day -- gone by!

We sat on the moss: it was shady and dry, --
Yes! shady and dry;
  We sat in the shadow,
We looked at the leaves, we looked at the sky,
We looked at the brook which bubbled near by, --
Yes! bubbled near by,
  Through the quiet meadow.

A bird sang on the swinging vine, --
Yes! on the vine, --
  And then, -- sang not;
I took your little white hand in mine;
'Twas April, 'twas Sunday; 'twas warm sunshine, --
Yes! warm sunshine:
  Have you forgot?

From up above my raft drifts down
To you! to you!
And oh! my love, your sweetheart brown
Is true! is true!

No girl's so sweet up in the pine
As you! as you!
Say, when you meet this raft of mine,
I'm true! I'm true!

From up above my raft drifts down
To you! to you!
And oh! my love, your sweetheart brown
Is true! is true!

Before the daybreak shines a star
That in the day's great glory fades;
Too fiercely bright is the full light
That her pale-gleaming lamp upbraids.

Before the daybreak sings a bird
That stills her song ere morning light:
Too loud for her is the day's stir,
The woodland's thousand-tongued delight.

Ah! great the honor is, to shine
A light wherein no traveller errs;
And rich the prize to rank divine
Among the world's loud choristers.

But I would be that paler star,
And I would be that lonelier bird,
To shine with hope, while hope's afar,
And sing of love, when love's unheard.