Die Beiden Grenadiere (The two Grenadiers)

Two grenadiers were marching back to France

They had been held captive in Russia,

And when they reached German lands

They hung their heads in shame.

For here they learnt the sorry tale

That France had been conquered in war,

Her valiant army beaten and shattered,

And the Emperor, the Emperor captured.

The grenadiers then wept together,

As they heard of these sad tidings.

The first said: ‘Ah, the agony;

How my old wound is burning!’

The second said: ‘This is the end;

If only we could die together.

But I’ve a wife and child at home,

And they would perish without me.’

‘To hell with wife, to hell with child,

My aims are for far higher things;

Let them beg, if they’ve nothing to eat—

My Emperor, my Emperor captured!

‘Grant me, brother, one request,

If I am now to die.

Take my corpse with you to France;

Bury me in French soil.

‘You shall lay upon my heart

The Cross of Valour with its red ribbon;

And place my musket in my hand

And gird my sword about me.

‘So I shall lie and listen

Like a silent sentry in my grave,

Until I hear the cannons’ roar

And the horses gallop and neigh.

‘That will be my Emperor riding by my grave;

Swords will be clashing and flashing;

And armed, I’ll rise up from the grave

To defend the Emperor, my Emperor!’

Der Soldat (The Soldier)

He walks to the sound of the muffled drum;

How far away the place! how long the way!

Ah, were he at rest and all this done!

My heart, I think, will break in two.

None but him in the world have I loved,

Him, who now they’re putting to death.

The firing squad parades will full band,

I too am detailed for the task.

Now he takes his last look

At the joyous rays of God’s sun,—

Now they’re blindfolding him,—

May God grant you eternal peace!

The nine of us took good aim,

Eight bullets whistled wide of the mark;

Every man shook with pity and grief—

But I, I shot him clean through the heart.

Kriegers Ahnung (Warrior's foreboding)

In deep repose my comrades in arms

lie in a circle around me;

my heart is so anxious and heavy,

so ardent with longing.

How often I have dreamt sweetly

upon her warm breast!

How cheerful the fireside glow seemed

when she lay in my arms.

Here, where the sombre glimmer of the flames,

alas, plays only on weapons,

here the heart feels utterly alone;

a tear of sadness wells up.

Heart, may comfort not forsake you;

many a battle still calls.

Soon I shall rest well and sleep deeply.

Beloved, goodnight!