That is autumn; leaves are flying
Through branches naked to the wild;
The ship is rocking, sails are swelling-
Farewell you charming shipborn child.
She looked with clear and steadfast eyes
From the deck towards the strand
And greetings in a foreign tongue
Were sent again and again to land.
We stood on the bank and beheld
Before us the vessel that grieves us
For that is the autumn where life
And all of its beauty leaves us.
Theodor Storm (1817- 1888) Denmark*
Translated by David Paley
Source: Poems Without Frontiers
* Note: Storm's hometown is now part of Germany, but during his lifetime was part of Denmark
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