I however lay on the edge of the vessel
      And gazed with dreamy eyes
      Down into the glass-clear water.
   And gazed deeper and deeper,
            Deep down into the bottom of the sea.
      At first like a twilight mist,
   Then gradually more distinctly colored,
      Domes of churches and towers arose
And at last, as clear as sunshine, a whole city,
            An antique Netherland city,
               Enlivened with people.
      Great men with black mantles,
      And white ruffs, and chains of honor,
      And long swords and long faces,
   Strode over the swarming market-place,
   Towards the court-house with its high steps,
      Where the stone effigies of emperors
   Kept guard with scepter and sword.
   Near by, past long rows of houses,
      Past casements like polished mirrors,
         And pyramidical, clipped lindens,
Wandered, in rustling silks, the young maidens,
      With slender forms, and flower-faces
Decently encircled by their black hoods,
         And their waving golden hair.
            Motley-clad folk in Spanish garb
      Strut past and salute each other.
               Elderly dames
         In brown, old-fashioned attire,
            Missal and rosary in hand,
               Hasten with tripping steps
            Towards the great cathedral,
      Drawn thither by the chiming bells,
      And by the deep-voiced tones of the organ.

            And the far-off chimes smite me also
                  With mysterious awe.
      Instatiable yearning, profound sadness
               Steal into my heart,
      Into my scarcely-healed heart.
               I feel as if its wounds
      Were kissed open by belovèd lips.
         And began to bleed afresh,
               With hot, red drops,
      That fall long and slowly,
      On an old house below there,
         In the deep city of the sea; --
      On an old high-gabled house,
   Sadly deserted by all living creatures,
   Save that in the lower window,
               Sits a maiden,
      Her head resting on her arms,
      Like a poor, forsaken child,
And I know thee, thou poor forsaken child.

         Deep down, deep as the sea,
      Thou hiddest thyself from me,
               In a childish freak,
      And never couldst rise again.
   And thou sat'st a stranger among strangers,
               Through long ages,
   Whilst I, my soul full of grief, --
      I sought thee over the whole earth.
               Forever I sought thee,
               Thou ever-belovèd,
               Thou long-lost,
               Thou found at last!
   I have found thee, and I see once more
            Thy sweet face,
            The wise, loyal eyes,
               The darling smile,
   And never gain will I leave thee,
      And I come down to thee now,
   And with wide-stretched arms,
      I leap down upon they breast.

      But just at the right moment
      The captain seized me by the foot,
   And drew me from the edge of the vessel,
   And cried with peevish laught,
   "Doctor, are you possessed by the devil?"