C.D. Warner, et al., comp.
The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.
The Castle in Austria
By Clemens Brentano (1778–1842)
T
Right goodly to behold,
Walled up with marble stones so fair,
With silver and with red gold.
For life and death he lies bound,
Full forty fathoms under the earth,
’Midst vipers and snakes around.
Before the tower he went:—
“My son, my dearest son, how hard
Is thy imprisonment!”
So hardly I am bound,
Full forty fathoms under the earth,
’Midst vipers and snakes around!”
“Let loose thy captive to me!
I have at home three casks of gold,
And these for the boy I’ll gi’e.”
That boy, and he must die!
He wears round his neck a golden chain;
Therein doth his ruin lie.”
He hath not stolen it; nay!
A maiden good gave it to him
For true love, did she say.”
And the sacrament took he:—
“Help thou, rich Christ, from heaven high,
It’s come to an end with me!”
Up the ladder he must go:—
“O headsman, dearest headsman, do
But a short respite allow!”
Thou wouldst escape and fly:
Reach me a silken handkerchief
Around his eyes to tie.”
I must look on the world so fine;
I see it to-day, then never more,
With these weeping eyes of mine.”
And his heart, it almost rends:—
“O son, O thou my dearest son,
Thy death I will avenge!”
My death thou shalt not avenge:
’Twould bring to my soul but heavy pains;
Let me die in innocence.
Nor for my body proud;
’Tis but for my dear mother’s sake:
At home she weeps aloud.”
When an angel from heaven came down:
“Take ye the boy from the scaffold away;
Else the city shall sink under ground!”
Ere his death was avenged amain;
And upwards of three hundred men
For the boy’s life were slain.
Hath sung it, and so on?
That, in Vienna in Austria,
Three maidens fair have done.