When You’re Not Near Me
When you’re not near me,
The flowers bow their heads,
The grass begins to wither,
As if no rain had ever fallen.
No one shows me pity—
Me, the most wretched of beings,
Beneath this leaden sky,
When you’re not near me.
If only you, my unspeakable beloved,
Could be summoned by my word!
If only my soul
Could fly to reach you!
See it for yourself: If fate
Had granted us eternity,
It would still be too short, my love,
For our everlasting dream!
When you’re not near me,
The hours drag like old men
Bent beneath the pale burden
Of their autumn age.
I pace the room, up and down—
A journey without end—
While the clock above the fireplace
Knocks mercilessly on.
