THE SPIRIT'S SALUTE. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
THE hero's noble shade stands high
On yonder turret grey; And as the ship is sailing by,
He speeds it on his way.
"See with what strength these sinews thrill'd!
This heart, how firm and wild! These bones, what knightly marrow fill'd!
This cup, how bright it smil'd!
"Half of my life I strove and fought,
And half I calmly pass'd; And thou, oh ship with beings fraught,
Sail safely to the last!"
1774.
|