I
Black as a grave the night,
The snow beats on the pane,
Yet on the hearth within, the fire burns bright,
Where Granny dozes and maids the soft flax spin.
" Buzz and turn, my spinning wheel, for Advent is almost gone,
And soon, soon breaks the Christmas dawn!
To spin's a maiden's joy, when winter weaves its spells
And not in vain her toil, since this her heart foretells:
A youth will come so brave and gay
And to the busy maid will say;
" Come with me, sweetheart mine!
My faithful wife to be,
My heart and faith are thine,
While thou art true to me.
Our troth with joy we'll crown,
Gold heart and eyes of brown! "
And she who spun the flax,
Will spin her wedding gown.
Buzz and turn, my spinning wheel, Advent now will soon be o'er,
And Christmas waits before the door.
II
Over each, Oh Christmas, thy blessings fall!
In memory bring'st thou a gift to all!
To the peasant, Christmas brew;
To the cattle, messes;
To the rooster, garlic stew;
To his mate, green cresses;
To the fruit trees, bones from the King's repast;
And golden sucklings to those who fast.
Aye, but now my heart, care-free,
Some strange vision waits to see —
Down beyond the forest dark,
By the manor in the park,
Stand two snow-bound willow trees;
One old willow nods and bends,
Where the blue lake slowly wends
Drowsily beneath the ice.
Here, the wise ones whispering say:
" When the moonlit shadows stray,
Silently from Heaven's gate,
They reveal a maiden's fate. "
I who fear no ice nor star,
I will break the ice so far,
That deep down my eyes shall see
My sweetheart has smiled on me.
Marie, Hannah, two dear maids,
Like spring blossoms earthward-strayed,
Which the fairer, none can tell.
If a youth hears one, her spell
Sets his wakened heart aflame.
Doth the other smile, alas!
He forgets the first one's name.
Midnight falls, and in the sky
All the little stars appear
Like young lambs that fearful, shy,
To the shepherd-moon keep near.
Midnight, mother of the dark,
Midnight, after Christmas day.
O'er the fresh snow stealing, hark!
What light footsteps pass this way?
See, one maid kneels on the ice
And the other waits to hear,
Wrapt in solemn mysteries,
What her bending comrade sees —
" Hannah, little golden heart!
What strange vision dost thou find? "
" But a cottage dimly limned
Like the one where Vaclav dwells —
Wait, it brightens — I can see
Someone in the doorway there,
And his coat is dark and spare,
And his hat cocked on one side —
Oh, I know him — bend by me!
There's the flower I gave him, see!
God! It's Vaclav's self! "
Up she starts, her heart beats fast,
And the other kneels at last.
" God's speed, dearest dear Marie!
What strange vision dost thou see? "
" Nothing but a veil of mist,
Dark and fearful, too, I wist;
Red lights flicker in and out
And the people kneel devout
At an altar hung with black.
Hark! I see them now, alas!
They are bridesmaids and they bear
A black cross-decked coffin there! "
A gentle breeze frolics across the young corn.
Over the garden spring fragrance is borne.
From the church anthems resound through the morn.
Huzzah and hurrah! For a bride draweth near
And a bridegroom awaits her here.
Happy, he waits for her 'mid the guests
In his coat of green homespun
And his hat with flowers drest.
Thus she beheld him
That dark Christmas-tide;
Now he is leading her home as his bride!
Bright glows the future for thee, little Hannah!
Summer is o'er and across the meadows
Cool winds are blowing. The church bell tolls.
On a black bier a corpse is borne by bridesmaids.
Candles are burning. A trumpet's deep voice tolls Miserere.
Whom, Oh maids, does the green wreath cover?
One who faded in her blossoming!
Tended by the sun, watered by the dew drops;
Dead as if a scythe had cut a flower in the spring. Alas, Marie!
Winter has come, snow beats against the pane,
Yet on the hearth within the fire burns bright,
Where Granny is ailing and again the maidens spin.
" Buzz and turn, my spinning wheel, for Advent will soon be past
And Christmas morning break at last.
Oh Christmas Eve, thou night of wonder!
Alone, alas! On thee I ponder.
A year ago we sat together,
Now two are gone, strange lands to weather.
One sits and weaves a baby's pillow;
The other sleeps beneath the willow.
Alas, Marie! We bide awhile and on the morrow
Who will be gone to bring us sorrow?
Buzz and turn, my spinning wheel.
Life flies fast and nothing lasts — nothing lasts. "
Only Truth lives on forever.
Black as a grave the night,
The snow beats on the pane,
Yet on the hearth within, the fire burns bright,
Where Granny dozes and maids the soft flax spin.
" Buzz and turn, my spinning wheel, for Advent is almost gone,
And soon, soon breaks the Christmas dawn!
To spin's a maiden's joy, when winter weaves its spells
And not in vain her toil, since this her heart foretells:
A youth will come so brave and gay
And to the busy maid will say;
" Come with me, sweetheart mine!
My faithful wife to be,
My heart and faith are thine,
While thou art true to me.
Our troth with joy we'll crown,
Gold heart and eyes of brown! "
And she who spun the flax,
Will spin her wedding gown.
Buzz and turn, my spinning wheel, Advent now will soon be o'er,
And Christmas waits before the door.
II
Over each, Oh Christmas, thy blessings fall!
In memory bring'st thou a gift to all!
To the peasant, Christmas brew;
To the cattle, messes;
To the rooster, garlic stew;
To his mate, green cresses;
To the fruit trees, bones from the King's repast;
And golden sucklings to those who fast.
Aye, but now my heart, care-free,
Some strange vision waits to see —
Down beyond the forest dark,
By the manor in the park,
Stand two snow-bound willow trees;
One old willow nods and bends,
Where the blue lake slowly wends
Drowsily beneath the ice.
Here, the wise ones whispering say:
" When the moonlit shadows stray,
Silently from Heaven's gate,
They reveal a maiden's fate. "
I who fear no ice nor star,
I will break the ice so far,
That deep down my eyes shall see
My sweetheart has smiled on me.
Marie, Hannah, two dear maids,
Like spring blossoms earthward-strayed,
Which the fairer, none can tell.
If a youth hears one, her spell
Sets his wakened heart aflame.
Doth the other smile, alas!
He forgets the first one's name.
Midnight falls, and in the sky
All the little stars appear
Like young lambs that fearful, shy,
To the shepherd-moon keep near.
Midnight, mother of the dark,
Midnight, after Christmas day.
O'er the fresh snow stealing, hark!
What light footsteps pass this way?
See, one maid kneels on the ice
And the other waits to hear,
Wrapt in solemn mysteries,
What her bending comrade sees —
" Hannah, little golden heart!
What strange vision dost thou find? "
" But a cottage dimly limned
Like the one where Vaclav dwells —
Wait, it brightens — I can see
Someone in the doorway there,
And his coat is dark and spare,
And his hat cocked on one side —
Oh, I know him — bend by me!
There's the flower I gave him, see!
God! It's Vaclav's self! "
Up she starts, her heart beats fast,
And the other kneels at last.
" God's speed, dearest dear Marie!
What strange vision dost thou see? "
" Nothing but a veil of mist,
Dark and fearful, too, I wist;
Red lights flicker in and out
And the people kneel devout
At an altar hung with black.
Hark! I see them now, alas!
They are bridesmaids and they bear
A black cross-decked coffin there! "
A gentle breeze frolics across the young corn.
Over the garden spring fragrance is borne.
From the church anthems resound through the morn.
Huzzah and hurrah! For a bride draweth near
And a bridegroom awaits her here.
Happy, he waits for her 'mid the guests
In his coat of green homespun
And his hat with flowers drest.
Thus she beheld him
That dark Christmas-tide;
Now he is leading her home as his bride!
Bright glows the future for thee, little Hannah!
Summer is o'er and across the meadows
Cool winds are blowing. The church bell tolls.
On a black bier a corpse is borne by bridesmaids.
Candles are burning. A trumpet's deep voice tolls Miserere.
Whom, Oh maids, does the green wreath cover?
One who faded in her blossoming!
Tended by the sun, watered by the dew drops;
Dead as if a scythe had cut a flower in the spring. Alas, Marie!
Winter has come, snow beats against the pane,
Yet on the hearth within the fire burns bright,
Where Granny is ailing and again the maidens spin.
" Buzz and turn, my spinning wheel, for Advent will soon be past
And Christmas morning break at last.
Oh Christmas Eve, thou night of wonder!
Alone, alas! On thee I ponder.
A year ago we sat together,
Now two are gone, strange lands to weather.
One sits and weaves a baby's pillow;
The other sleeps beneath the willow.
Alas, Marie! We bide awhile and on the morrow
Who will be gone to bring us sorrow?
Buzz and turn, my spinning wheel.
Life flies fast and nothing lasts — nothing lasts. "
Only Truth lives on forever.