We laughed when days were merry - Holger Drachmann

We laughed when days were merry
And spun joy’s thread for years,
Now we can shoulder bravely
A sprinkling of tears;
When bitter tears have ended,
We’ll venture out to where
Our hearts in dance were blended;
No dancing now is there.

In silence there we settle
On benches in the shade
Where golden sunrays revel
With rafters in play.
To sit there in the darkness
Yet see the sunlight soar,
Rejoicing in the gladness
Of old. We ask no more!

---

Holger Drachmann (1846 – 1908) Denmark
Translated by Mark Stone
Source: The Complete Delius Songbook, Mark Stone & Steven Barlow, Boosey & Hawkes, 2011
(NB Mark Stone has translated the first two out of three stanzas)