Welcome My Beloved Mountains

Welcome my beloved mountains,

Welcome O my river dear!

I used to be so far away,

But now again I am so near.

Crowds of people stood between us,

And the hubbub of the street;

And the patience farcical

That oft in sacrifice we meet.

Those are all remote domains,

Wilderness, and sterile waste;

Ruptured only by the longings

That my soul to you still haste.

My grief has brought me back to you,

So I am standing by your side,

O mountains, and I’m listening to

The waters’ murmur deep and wide.

Yes! I am hiking, looking, listening...

How beautifully is all arranged!

And I am seeking to find out

If anything, since then, has changed.

Nothing, only in a roadside cabin

A friend of mine has died of age,

Withered are the willows two

That used to guard the springtide’s stage.

Upon our olden ash-trees though

New leaves again have densely grown,

Yellow buttercups are shining

Among the greening grass unmown.

And from the fields I feel now blowing

Eternity’s creative breeze

That into life transforms all death,

And puts my thoughts again at ease.

Welcome my beloved mountains,

Welcome O my river dear!

I used to be so far away,

But now again I am so near.