Classic Poem

[ TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN .]

Were I a wild, wild falcon,
 I 'd soar away on high,
And seek my father's dwelling,
 Beyond the far blue sky.

Against that well-known door then
 I 'd flap my wings with joy;
My mother from the window
 Sees and admits her boy.

“Dear son!” she 'd say; “O, welcome!
 How often has my heart
Longed sadly to embrace thee;
 Now here behold thou art!”

Thus, memory still is dreaming
 Of what can never be.
My long-lost home—the loved ones—
 These eyes may never see.