I feel the Spring far off, far off,
The faint far scent of bud and leaf -
Oh how can Spring take heart to come
To a world in grief,
Deep grief?


The sun turns north, the days grow long,
Later the evening star grows bright -
How can the daylight linger on
For men to fight,
Still fight?


The grass is waking in the ground,
Soon it will rise and blow in waves -
How can it have the heart to sway
Over the graves,
New graves?


Under the boughs where lovers walked
The apple-blooms will shed their breath -
But what of all the lovers now
Parted by death,
Gray Death?