Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Germany: Vols. XVII–XVIII. 1876–79.

Tübingen

Departure

By Andreas Justinus Kerner (1786–1862)

Translated by C. T. Brooks

THROUGH the gloomy streets I loiter lonely;

Hushed the town, as if the folks were dead;

There ’s a distant sound of murmuring waters,

And the pale moon shines bright overhead.

Long, ah, long before that house I linger;

There doth she, my dearest darling, dwell,

Knows not that her true one, mute and mournful,

Like the pale moon, looks his fond farewell.

Long I spread my arms, with speechless yearning,

Toward my dearest, dearest darling’s home,

And at length I cry: Farewell, dear city!

Fare thee well, thou peaceful, peaceful home!

And thou little chamber overhead there,

Sight that made so oft my bosom swell,

Little window that my love looked out from,

And thou door she passed through,—all, farewell!

To the grim old walls I sadly turn now,

Often gazing back, with weeping blind,

Till the watchman shuts the gate behind me,—

Knows not that I left my heart behind!