Far in the distance I wander alone,
I cannot rejoice in my familiar homeland;
My path takes me over cliffs,
Chasms full of horrors yawn at [my feet]:
But gently everywhere wafts about me
The magical image of my beloved!
 
My way stretches up towards the clouds
Over dizzying bridges across rivers,
High upon the icy fields of the glaciers
I see the sunny world far below.
Here, too, blissfully and gently wafts about me
The magical image of my beloved!
 
Deep in the valley’s horrifying chasm,
As to the lake’s sail-dotted bay,
Onward through the glowing sands of the desert,
I wended my way with light steps:
But wherever I tarried, about me wafted gently
The magical image of my beloved!
 
And upon the ocean’s surging flood,
As in the devastating rage of the storm,
Even in the jungle’s pathless space,
As at the farthest border of the sky:
Everywhere I see, blissfully and gently,
The magical image of my beloved!
 
May I now walk a thousand miles,
Everywhere I believe that I see the lovely one,
Everywhere I imagine that I am with her,
And she accompanies me from land to land:
For everywhere wafts gently about me
The magical image of my beloved!
 
Thus I shall travel farther and farther,
Fleeing through lands and seas on my pilgrimage,
But wherever I am, I shall remain
True and loving to my homeland and to her:
For about me wafts so blissfully and gently
The magical image of my beloved! --

Ah, for naught do you conceal the stars
Of your eyes from my gaze,
From the clear aether’s distance
Their radiance beams back to me!
The heavenly bliss of your smile,
For naught do you withdraw it from me,
Every early morning sun
Shows me your smile.
The magical beauty of your cheeks
I see in the glory of the rose,
The sweet sounds of your lips
I hear in the summer night;
When the nightingale’s songs,
Breathing yearning, pass through me,
I imagine that the lovely tones
Emanate softly from your lips.
When the blossoming bush whispers,
Quietly stirred by the evening breezes,
Then in its scents there wafts about me
Your exotic breath of love.
In the lily I find reflected
The angelic image of your innocence,
And I am drawn down toward [the lily]
Full of sweet and gentle rapture.
Thus I feel your nearness
Everywhere in nature,
Wherever I wander, wherever I walk,
I only see you, my beloved;
For in stars, sounds, blossoms,
You smile, turned toward me.
Thus unites us, even when we are apart,
A mysterious bond!

Roar,
Flowing and surging, you consecrating song!
Hearken,
My dear sweetheart, to the celebratory sounds!
Listen to how the strings sound melodiously,
Listen to how the tones twine themselves into a song,
Silvery bright, pleading and pure;
Beloved, think of me!
 
Sweet one,
Let me tell you what moves me!
Know
That this heart beats only for you!
That which I do not dare to tell you shyly,
May the little breezes carry it up to you
Quietly by the shining of starlight,
Sweetheart, think of me!
 
Beautiful one,
Youthfully delightful figure of loveliness,
Crown,
Crown soon my fervent longing!
Bliss dwells in the arms of love,
Share, oh share the tender desires,
Let us soon be united,
Sweetheart, think of me!
 
Dream,
Dream of love’s radiance, joy and peace,
Delay,
Delay no longer, oh you lovely one;
Let me soon hear the sweet confession,
Let me swear eternal fidelity to you, beloved,
Forever I shall remain yours alone,
Sweetheart, think of me! --

          Come hither,
          Cheerily and freely,
To the merry gondolier;
          The sound of the zither
          And of singing
Resounds beautifully upon the sea!
Come, ye people, and board joyfully,
See, the barque dances in the bright sunshine,
     And the shipman sings joyfully:
     [Trallala la ja ho!]1
 
          The shores recede
          Rapidly,
The keel sweeps through the floodwaters!
          The blue of the sky,
          The warm breezes
Dally with the play of the waves!
Go onward, little boat, go merrily onward always,
You have friends and blithe spirits on board,
     For the shipman sings joyfully:
     [Trallala la ja ho!]1
 
          My fine sweetheart,
          Think of me,
Soon I shall return home to you,
          The flood of the waves
          Shall never
Extinguish the fire of my love.
Even if many a beauty’s smouldering glance smiles upon me,
I always think back to you, to you,
     And then I sing, joyful with love:
     [Trallala la ja ho!]1
 
          When, rocking, the boat
          Turns about then,
Back to the home shore,
          Then shall clasp
          Then shall greet
Lovingly the shipman his sweetheart’s hand!
And in the joyful bliss of reunion he shall press
The faithful maiden to breast fervently,
     Rejoicing loudly and singing joyfully:
     [Trallala la ja ho!]1

Enclosed all around with jasmine,
A house stands upon green meadows,
And every night it draws me
Toward its deep shadow;
For there lives the lovely maiden,
To whom I have dedicated my heart and my song!
    La, la, la, la, la!
 
When the gentle beam of Selene1
Sinks down upon the scented leas,
Then my songs proclaim [to the maiden]
The joy and agony of yearning,
And only to the lovely maiden
They are dedicated, glowing with love!
    La, la, la, la, la!
 
And I would love to be a breeze
That plays about her cheeks,
That cools her with a spicy wafting
In the silent little chamber;
Oh then I would whisper to her:
Good night and gentle rest!
    La, la, la, la, la!
 
If only I were the nightingale
Whose tones delight her,
I would rock her into slumber
Through the sweet sounding of songs.
Dreaming she would still hearken
To the little singer!
    La, la, la, la, la!
 
And I would like to be the rose
That blooms beautifully upon her breast,
That glows like her cheeks
In the purest magical radiance,
Every petal would contain the vow:
Eternally yours alone, beloved!
    La, la, la, la, la!
 
Thus forever and ever I would like
To hover about my beloved’s brow,
Dedicating my whole life to her,
To her, the most beautiful of maidens!
If she then looked upon me kindly,
Who would be more overjoyed than I! --
    La, la, la, la, la!