Margarete Münsterberg, ed., trans. A Harvest of German Verse. 1916.
By King in ThuleJohann Wolfgang von Goethe (17491832)
T
Right faithful to his grave,
To whom his dying sweetheart
A golden goblet gave.
He emptied it every meal;
And so he used to love it—
The tears from his eyes would steal.
And gave unto his heir
The towns in his kingdom lying—
But not the goblet rare.
In the old hall solemnly,
With all his vassals loyal,
In the castle by the sea.
And drank life’s sunset glow;
And cast the sacred goblet
Into the flood below.
Into the sea it sank.
His eyelids old were sinking—
Ne’er more a drop he drank.