7. On the River

You who thundered so cheerfully,
You clear, untamed river,
How quiet you have become,
Give no word of farewell.
With a hard stiff crust
You have covered yourself,
Lie cold and unmoving,
Outstretched in the sand.
In your covering I inscribe
With a sharp stone
The name of my sweetheart
And the hour and day, as well.
The day of the first greeting,
The day on which I left;
Around name and figures winds
A broken ring.
My heart, in this stream
Do you now recognize your image?
And under its crust
Is there also a raging torrent?

Winterreise by Wilhelm Muller
music by Franz Schubert Op. 89