Snowdrop

The sun looked down upon the earth,

A mild breeze was blowing,

And suddenly a snowdrop appeared,

The strange, pale child.

And suddenly with pomp and a great show

Old winter decamped,

As swiftly as arrows the clouds scudded off

Toward the dark north.

The ice floe raced, the snowflake melted,

The storms howled,

Snowdrop stood with a bowed head

All alone in the tumult.

Come now! You white little sister,

How long do you propose to stand?

Winter proclaims that his reign is over;

We must go home!

And everything on earth that wears

The white livery

Must gird itself, must make haste

To appear quickly for the departure!

The snowdrop looked at herself with trembling

And, half in a dream, thought:

"What is this green, green border

Upon winter's livery?

Was it woven into my white dress

By the rough hand of winter?

Whence do I come? Whither do I go?

Where is my homeland?"