At The Middle Of Life

By Friedrich Holderlin

The earth hangs down

to the lake, full of yellow

pears and wild roses.

Lovely swans, drunk with

kisses you dip your heads

into the holy, sobering waters.

But when winter comes,

where will I find

the flowers, the sunshine,

the shadows of the earth?

The walls stand

speechless and cold,

the weathervanes

rattle in the wind.