At Night On The High Seas

At night, when the sea cradles me And the pale star gleam Lies down on its broad waves, Then I free myself wholly From all activity and all the love And stand silent and breathe purely, Alone, alone cradled by the sea That lies there, cold and silent, with a thousand lights. Then I have to think of my friends And my gaze sinks into their gazes And I ask each one, silent, alone: 'Are you still mine' Is my sorrow a sorrow to you, my death a death? Do you feel from my love, my grief, Just a breath, just an echo? ' And the sea peacefully gazes back, silent, And smiles: no. And no greeting and now answer comes from anywhere. Translated by James Wright Submitted by Holt