[Illustration:  THE VILLA BY THE SEA From the Painting by Arnold Boecklin]

* * * * *

  DEPARTURE[21] (1806)

  What jingles and carols along the street! 
  Fling open your casements, damsels sweet! 
  The prentice’ friends, they are bearing
  The boy on his far wayfaring.

  ’Mid fluttering ribbons and tossing caps,
  Full merry the rabble huzzas and claps;
  But the boy regards not the token—­
  He walks like one heartbroken.

  Full clear clinks the wine-can, full red gleams the wine
  “Drink deep and drink deeper, dear brother mine!”
  “Oh, have done with the red wine of parting
  That burns me within with its smarting!”

  And outside from the cottage, last of all,
  A maiden peeps out and her tear-drops fall,
  Yet her tear-drops to none she discloses
  But forget-me-nots and roses.

  And outside by the cottage, last of all,
  The boy glances up at a casement small,
  And glances down without greeting. 
  ’Neath his hand his heart is beating.

  “What, brother!  Art lacking a bright nosegay? 
  See yonder—­the beckoning, blossomy spray! 
  God save thee, thou prettiest sweeting! 
  Drop down now a nosegay for greeting!”

  “Nay, brothers, pass yonder casement by. 
  No prettiest sweeting like her have I.
  In the sun those blossoms would wither;
  The wind it would blow them thither.”

  So farther and farther with shout and song! 
  And the maiden listens and harkens long
  “Ah, me! he is flown now beyond me—­
  The boy I have loved so fondly!

  And here I stay, with my lonely lot,
  With roses, ah!—­and forget-me-not,
  And he whose heart I’d be sharing—­
  He is gone on his far wayfaring!”

* * * * *

  FAREWELL[22] (1807)

  Farewell, farewell!  From thee
    Today, love, must I sever. 
  One kiss, one kiss give me,
    Ere I quit thee forever!

  One blossom from yon tree
    O give to me, I pray! 
  No fruit, no fruit for me! 
    So long I may not stay.

[Illustration:  LEAVING AT DAWN]

* * * * *

  THE HOSTESS’ DAUGHTER[23] (1809)

  Three students had cross’d o’er the Rhine’s dark tide;
  At the door of a hostel they turned aside.

  “Hast thou, Dame hostess, good ale and wine
  And where is thy daughter, so sweet and fine?”

  “My ale and wine are cool and clear;
  On her death-bed lieth my daughter dear.”

  And when to the chamber they made their way,
  In a sable coffin the damsel lay.

  The first—­the veil from her face he took,
  And gazed upon her with mournful look: 

  “Alas! fair maiden—­didst thou still live,
  To thee my love would I henceforth give!”