"Fast fly the clouds, the sickle of the moon

Struggling, darts snatches of uncertain light."

as a translation of

"—— schnell geht

Der Wolken Zug: die Mondessichel wankt

Und durch die Nacht zuckt ungewisse Helle."

In a note on this passage he says:

"The words wanken and schweben are not easily translated. The English words by which we attempt to render them are either vulgar or pedantic, or not of sufficiently general application. So 'der Wolken Zug,' the draft, the procession of clouds, the masses of the clouds sweep onward in swift stream."

On reading this, it struck me that the English word rack exactly expresses the meaning of "der Wolken Zug."

Malone, in his note on the Tempest, Act IV. Sc. 1., says: